What Matters
by MarshmellowDragon
Summary: In which Netto refuses to talk and Rock wonders why. Perhaps it's just because survivor's guilt just sucks that way. Complete.
1. Safe and Sound

"Among the casualties are N-1 Grand Prix Runner up Hikari Netto-" there was a click as the T.V. was turned off. An uncomfortable shift was accomplished as the small body lay down amongst the sheets. The sharp clatter of the remote rang out as it was dropped unceremoniously onto an eerily bare nightstand. Another rustle traveled through the room as the occupant of the bed rolled over to escape the blank screen. Well he tried to anyway. The cast encasing the bedridden boy's leg was large and clunky at best, as it ran from the sole of his foot to the top of his knee.

"_-Closed segmental break along the Tibia; .2 subgroup, Fibula broken in spiral wedge.  
-Physical Therapy Recommended"_

There was a grunt, then silence. Watching the scene from the top of his PET, Rockman half expected the brunette to sigh. No such thing was done, although the action could have been implied for all the melancholy that hung in the air. It would have been nice to talk, or at the very least turn the television back on. Normally, rotting one's brain out with programs of notorious wrong-doers, car chases and cardboard cutout heroes was very low on Rock's list of 'Things to allow my netOp to do' It was somewhere around the 'Letting him cook' area. But now…it was a bit different. For the moment, the noise would have been welcome. It was a shame that visitor hours were over, the navi mused, because then there would have been someone to share the awkwardness of the situation with him.

It saddened him to think that being in the same room as Netto had become awkward.

But, at least the room itself was nice. It was bland, boring, dull, uninteresting and unexciting, but quaint nonetheless. A potted plant stood at attention on the windowsill, a clock ticked silently in a corner of the room, and the aforementioned TV sat patiently across from the single bed. It was all very…white. But white was still a nice color (shade?), a healing color, a peaceful color…and it was the same color that Netto had been when they reached him.

"_Traumatic Bleeding on left forearm; caused by laceration along ulnar vein. Emergency Tourniquet applied at 2:06AM by Ijuin Enzan. Removed at 2:58AM by Kishi Shunsuke. Blood Transfusion begun-"_

Well…perhaps more of an ashen color. He wasn't quite sure. Whatever the case, the cause was still then same. First, it had been the situation. Then, it was the blood. Or had it been the other way around? How embarrassing, he'd been so positive of it just a moment ago, and now he actually wasn't sure. He'd been too busy worrying, pacing and pleading, to really pay attention as to whether reality had set in before the blood loss or not. But that was missing the whole point! Yes, the main point. The point that he should have been grateful for. The point that ruled out all others. The point that Netto was here _now_, was receiving care _now_, and was more of a healthy color _now_. **That** was what mattered. It was trivial that he wasn't quite the same as he'd been, Netto would get there. Slowly but surely, he would get there all the same. Rock had enough faith in his friend for that much.

Although, Rockman still would have felt better if there had been a way around the stress. Post-traumatic stress was a natural occurrence in cases like this. There was nothing to worry about. No abnormalities to obsess over. …Or so he'd been told. The blue navi's opinion was still wavering on the matter. On one hand, the doctor knew what he was talking about. He hadn't gone to graduate school to screw up his representation of statistics. But on the other hand…

…well…it was Netto.

Call him conceited, but _his_ Netto-kun was different from all those other children in the ward. Rock couldn't place his finger on the exact reason (and he doubted he ever would) but he was _sure_ that Netto was different. He was _positive_. How many other fifth, well, eighth now, graders had taken down a net mafia? Much less multiple ones. If Netto could cross fuse, repel a dark aura, break free of a parallel reality on memories alone and still manage to find time to be with his friends, Rockman didn't doubt that he could come over the shock of a few wounds.

Yuuichiro had said the same thing. The blue navi had pointedly looked elsewhere as the graying doctor had given the brunette father one of _those_ looks. The kind where you wanted to tell the truth, but knew you'd regret it later. Later, Rock would dismiss this tidbit of memory as nothing more than his overactive creation banks supplying his processes with one too many melancholy scenarios. He'd probably end up sharing this anecdote with Netto, who would then ceaselessly poke fun at him for the rest of the day.

He…missed that.

"Netto-kun" he couldn't control the impulse, couldn't suppress the urge. It was just a whim, he wanted to hear a voice. He wanted to hear a specific voice. Not the pitying tone of the nurses, not the detached manner held by the doctors, not the driving interrogations of the police; He wanted…But Netto needed his rest, needed his quiet! …he didn't need his navi making things worse. Netto couldn't…he didn't want to…speaking was just…just what? It still just wasn't right that Rock had drawn attention to…Netto didn't need to be reminded…

"_Netto_-kun" it was more forceful now. No, he needed to stop it! But Netto really _did_...did what? He really…he _really_ did need the help. This was supposed to be one of those things that you couldn't do by yourself, right? Right? Of course, he admonished himself. He was going to help!

"Ne-" '_Help…_' he stopped.

He…couldn't help. No matter how much he wanted to…Rockman suddenly remembered that he _couldn't_ help. The death of a human was something…different. Even the death of a human he didn't particularly know. The death of a human that _Netto_ hadn't even particularly known…not for long at least. He couldn't seem to comprehend…he couldn't quite figure out how this one loss, a loss of a person pretty much unknown, could affect his netOP this much. Perhaps...perhaps it was the fact that there was more than one human. The loss of more than one human, that might have been the reason. But still...Rock didn't quite know the answer. And he wanted to know **why **he didn't know.

Maybe it was just his programming.

Navis and programs couldn't be _killed_. They could be deleted, corrupted, zipped, fragmented, moved, copied and much more…but they weren't killed. If nothing else, they stuck around the undernet and made a nuisance of themselves. No matter if he was Saito, no matter if he was based off the DNA of a long-dead human, no matter that he himself could easily possess memory data pertaining to his own (Saito's, he corrected himself quickly) death, despite all that, he was still a NetNavi who was unable to imagine a sudden _gap_ which was the loss of a human life.

And up until now, it had been a topic that had eluded Netto as well.

"Netto-kun" it was quiet, and not meant any ears but Rock's own. It was there just to reassure the blue navi, just to make sure that he remembered that his NetOP was there, to remind him that despite this tinge of mortality that had been imposed upon his musings, Netto was still alive.

To lose Netto…that would have been one thing. That would have been…devastating. It would have…have been…he didn't dwell on it. But all the same…he would have been able to grasp _why_ it felt wrong to have a gap. It would have been processed by his .EXE files and accordingly dealt with by the proper mirror of human emotion that his AI (and a hint of DNA he supposed) allowed.

But Netto was still here. With him. Alive. He wasn't the one with the white sheet over him. Wasn't one of the ones that Rock was struggling to understand the death of, wasn't one of the ones that had left behind a grieving family. And despite however pale he was, despite the bandages and bruises, despite the fact that he refused to talk…

He was there. And that was what mattered.

* * *

_Eh…wow, fer my first Rockman fic I really made poor Rock (and Netto too) a bit OOC…sorry._

_Anyway…originally this was supposed to be a one-shot, but now I've got a whole backstory about how Netto ended up in the hospital, why Rock is obsessing about death, etc, in my head, so more chapters coming. Anything to make this angsty and drama-y pile of...something better would be much appreciated. Although, thanks for reading even this far._

…_and __**please**__ feel free to correct me on my medical-diagnosing…I'm just a high-school student with an internet connection :P_

_ (and about Saito, sorry, couldn't resist. This is anime-based however. Just go with 'Saito exists, but Netto doesn't know')  
_


	2. Slow Down

_"Sil__ence is one of the hardest arguments to refute"_

-Josh Billings (Wikipedia anyone?)

------

"_Netto-__**kun**__! Slow down! You're going to-" the scolding was cut short as the aforementioned brunette hopped onto a low-wall, sliding on the sides of his skates with no heed to the gravity which sought to bring him down. "Neeeeeettooooooo!"it was funny, almost four years, and Rock still had yet to fully adjust to his skating. Landing backwards, the thirteen year old weaved around the passerby with years of expertise. There was a moan from the PET on his shoulder, indicating the misery of the navi __**inside**__. Rock had learned long ago that existing as a hologram on Netto's shoulder whilst he skated was not good for his internal calibration._

"_Slow down? I can't slow down!" the brunette grinned from ear to ear as he flipped to be facing forward once more, only to turn on his side in order to avoid a particularly large man going in the opposite direction. Although, as something or other dawned on the teen's mind, a frown quickly replaced the grin. This was even further traded for a scowl. "I've got entrance exams" he deadpanned._

"_I __**know**__" Netto knew that wasn't a happy 'I know'. The tone was rather obvious, but it still made him grin. It wouldn't be the same without scolding. And besides, what better a way to start the day than by annoying the daylights out of your navi?_

"_You __**know**__?" the brunette mocked, ducking under an awning in the same instant._

"_I __**know**__" the navi fired back, far too anxious about the skating to scold Netto for the ridicule as well._

"_You…know?" if Rock had been in the real world, this would have been the part where he hit Netto over the head. As it was…he merely settled for glaring in the general direction of his netOP. But here…here was the hard part. Whether to fire back or not? Should he bring up the old scabbed over wound…the stereotype that Netto had yet to either outgrow or disprove?_

"_I know, because you __**told**__ me to wake you up. And you didn't" he chose the cliché._

"_But it's not my fault I didn't get up! You need to be louder Rockman"_

"_And you, Netto-kun, need to learn not to stay up so late!" a pause to tap his foot on the grid-like ground of the PET –even though Netto couldn't hear or see it– which was followed by a frown "Especially on the night before your entrance exams"_

"_Mou…but I __**was**__ study-"His excuse, however valid, was cut short as his right foot snagged and caught on something, jerking it backwards and the rest of Netto forwards. He'd been at an awkward angle, halfway between sideways and backward in an unsuccessful attempt to pass another pedestrian. Instinct taking over, the brunette's arms wheeled in a futile attempt to regain his balance and perhaps prevent the tumble. _

_There was emphasis on the futile part._

_The best thing, Netto mused a moment later, about learning how to skate had been learning how to fall properly. It was thanks to that, and pretty much __**only**__ thanks to that that his nose hadn't been smashed in. Still, his arm stung, and he could feel a nice scrape up his leg. Ah! But back to his arm! Because __**on**__ his arm though-_

"_Netto-kun! What did I tell you?" never mind. His PET was fine. A bit chipped at the top, but it was fine. He could get that fixed later. His arm still stung though. That was annoying. Thoroughly annoying. How was he supposed to concentrate on exams with his arm all bruised? Maybe he could be excused…_

"_Ah, I'm so sorry young man!" Rock was the first to look up, as Netto was still preoccupied assessing the severity of his scrape. "I didn't see you coming"_

"_It's not your fault" Rock piped up. "Netto-kun really needs to be more careful, don't you Netto-kun?" At his name the brunette perked up, grinning sheepishly up at the taller man who was now addressing him._

"_Sorry sorry!" he made a motion to stand, though his scraped leg refused to support him with the skates still on. "I'm really late and I wasn't watching-" Although, he had been watching. He was sure of it. If nothing else, his fights in the dimensional areas had forced him to be far more aware of his surroundings. "I'm just really sorry Mr." He'd dwell on it later. Preferably when he didn't have an exam to get to._

"_Let me help you up at least" the boy winced as he was roughly pulled to his feet without any regard for his stinging arm. Geeze, the guy had the right intentions, but he really needed to work on his actual presentation. "Ah! I'm so sorry! Your arm! My car is right over here, I've got some medical supplies-"_

"_I'm fine" Netto insisted, trying to break his arms free of the man's grip. "I've really got to go take an exam though, so if you could-"_

"_But I insist! I can't just knock you down and send you on your way!" the man still held strong, though his body language otherwise held no threat. Although, __**him**__ knocking Netto down? Hadn't they just decided that it was Netto's fault?_

"_I'm grateful Mr., but I'm sorry, I've __**really**__ got to take this test!" and still, he would not let go. Alarm bells were beginning to ring in Netto's ears as the man held him still with just one arm. Rock's alarm bells, on the other hand, were far past beginning to ring and were now at a constant shrill._

"_Netto-kun we've got to go!" despite his worry, Rockman simultaneously monitored a graph, glancing back at it every few moments. Netto's heart rate was beginning to speed up, which meant that this situation was making him uneasy as well. The navi felt a little paranoid for doing so, but the link to the Science Labs sat patiently waiting at his call. It could __**never**__ hurt to be too careful._

"_Seriously kid" the tone had changed. Rock felt Netto's arm tense through the PET, and the navi silently prayed that Netto would just __**trust**__ his instincts for once, elbow the man and get the heck away from there. This was beginning to scare him._

"_Lighten up" from the free arm that had been digging in a pocket, the man swiftly jammed a cloth over Netto's mouth and nose. Rock watched with a sinking stomach as the heart rate began to drop back towards normal…and then even slower…this wasn't good. Something in the cloth…that wasn't good either._

"_Netto-kun!" Logic dictated that Rock should have hightailed it out of the PET via the Science Labs bookmark. Logic dictated that if he did so, the scientists, Yuuichiro included, would know that there was something wrong immediately, and be able to track Netto and find him long before this man managed to damage the PET significantly enough to get rid of the tracker installed within._

_However, as the case was, logic was not Rock's master at the moment._

"_Don't worry folks, he's fine! I've got it!" he was making excuses! The nerve! Rock watched with a sort of detached rage as people continued on with their lives, passing the scene like things like this happened every day. The man was now dragging Netto's limp form –since when __**had**__ it been limp? This wasn't good…– towards a side-street. Rockman __**really**__ didn't like the look of the unmarked gray van parked __**within**__ the alley. Unmarked vans were never good, especially when they were some shade of black._

"_Netto-kun! Somebody please-!" Rock was abruptly cut off as the man hit the mute button on the PET. __**Now**__, he guessed, would be a good time to go. He needed to get to Science Labs-_

"_You aren't going anywhere blue boy" with a click, he had been taken from the arm holster, and tossed into the now adjacent truck. It was only __**after**__ he landed that Rock figured out why that made a difference._

_There was paneling. Wireless blocking paneling. He couldn't leave._

--

Rock watched the door with a critical eye. As it was, one wouldn't say he was mad at the _door_, just mad at its purpose. Letting people into the room to be precise. It was all fine and good when it was just a nurse in to check on Netto's vitals and to open or close the shades. He even tolerated the doctors who came in to poke and prod his operator. But, he didn't like these new sets of visitors. They made Netto upset. And what made Netto upset made him upset as well.

Honestly though! Couldn't they at least have had a little more respect? Netto was _resting_. He was _recovering_. He was **not** some well of information. He was **not** a disposable source, to be mined dry and then tossed away and left alone to dry out and crack. He was not…

He was obsessing again, wasn't he?

As tempting as it would have been to do so, Rock bit back the urge to bang his head against a wall, or at least some other flat space. An over-imagination was not going to get him anywhere! He just had to stay calm, collected…

"Hikari-san?" he'd forgotten to watch the door.

"Netto-kun is resting right now. Can you please come back later?" well, it worked with some of them. Not all, but some. Rock could tell which ones were green that way. If they walked away, they were newbies, and if they ignored Rock, then they weren't. It was as simple as that.

"I'm sorry Rockman, but we really _must_ ask Hikari-san a few questions. This is rather important…"

"I'm aware of that" he glanced back to Netto. The boy was staring blankly upward, taking no note of the intrusion into his room. Or rather, choosing to take no note. "But he cannot answer any questions. I, however, _do_ happen to know the…" The man shook his head while Rock was still in mid-sentence. He had gotten a dismissal before he could even start.

"Yes Rockman. You have been quite helpful, but we _do_ need some information from after you too were separated" He'd been afraid of that. Or rather, not afraid, he'd suspected it. But he still didn't like it. His thoughts on the matter must have been rather evident, as the questioner hastily raised an arm as if to qualm a great rage.

"You must understand. Once Hikari-san talks this whole mess can be resolved and he will be fine again. We must keep trying to speak to him Rockman. There could be lives at stake. _They_ could even return for Netto if he remains quiet and does not help us" Rock knew that wasn't true. There was no point for them to come after Netto again. Honestly, trying this tactic? It was sound in theory, failed when put to the Rockman, overprotective navi extraordinaire, test.

_'They just want to catch them'_ something around the obedience sector of his AI rather unhelpfully added. _'And he's right, wouldn't Netto be just a little happier if he knew that the guys who got him were taken down?'_ A firm shake of the head and the thought was expelled. Netto would **never** be happy if someone was "taken down" enemy or otherwise. It'd probably only upset him more. _'And you're here to comfort him'_ the AI supplied again. '_That's all he needs, right?'_ ...no. That would be wrong. Netto needed...he needed...what he needed was...

...

"I am sorry, but-"

"Hikari-san's doctor has told me that breaking through this silence will only help him. Rockman, I am sure that you only want the best for your operator. But this **is** the best…" ah. They'd sent an experienced one this time. He was the first to actually check ahead with the doctor. Usually Rock could just get them to bug off by saying that Netto's was silent under doctor's orders, or something like that. Usually the brunette would just sleep through it all.

Vaguely, Rock wondered if this would count as obstructing justice.

"It's fine Gouji-san" Rock made a move to turn towards the door again, only to be distracted by the sudden input of data to his PET. Stray blocks of code quickly flew together, condensing into a cylinder and then suddenly bursting to form a navi. And it was a rather well known navi on top of that.

"Blues" the crimson one's only greeting was a nod. Which wasn't good at all. Rock had at least climbed high enough on the respect ladder to earn a 'Hello'. When Blues didn't speak, it meant he was uncomfortable, and when he was uncomfortable, it usually meant…

"I can take it from here. It might be easier for Hikari to speak to me"

…that Enzan was uncomfortable as well.

* * *

_Heh, that took a while, especially for four pages. Pretty bad typing if I do say so myself. Though, I was in England for a lacrosse game over the weekend, so maybe that can count as an excuse._

_Anyway, still trying to piece the story together here. Most of the story will probably be like this, with an annoying italics flashback, followed by a mute-ish Netto. Somebody (anybody) feel free to point out obvious mistakes or ooc-ness that I somehow miss, it'd be much appreciated._

_And thanks very much to Firehedgehog for adding this to her C2, and __ESPECIALLY__ thanks to Aki Kochou for the very nice review. Thank you all 106 hits for taking the time to read. Means a lot._


	3. Listening and Acknowledging

"_In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends"_

-Martin Luther King Junior (eh, no Wiki this time)

----

"_-ine. Don't worry too much about it. I'm sure that we'll get an explanation. Most people can't stand to do these things and not gloat" the speaker paused, giving time to a second one. Though, he couldn't quite make out whatever they were saying. Too far away he supposed. Well…and he could still do with some more sleep. That would have been nice as well. Yeah…sleep…_

"_I really don't know. But if I had to hazard a guess, I'd say it has nothing to do with us. And that's what I'm worried about. What if they really are attempting something with them? I don't know what I'd do…We're stuck in here" Although, now that he thought about it, this bed wasn't really very comfy. Rather cold as well. And where were the blankets? He kicked them off at times…but with this cold? Nevermind, he could figure out why later. Now was sleep time. Sleep was good. He wanted his blankets. Groping blindly for the covers, the dozer mourned every moment of sweet oblivious nap time that he was missing now. But where __**were**__ those sheets? He really couldn't…_

"_Netto-kun?" ah. So __**that**__ was who had been speaking before! Hah, rather embarrassing not to be able to place the voice. But whatever the case, Rockman was awake. This meant that he himself was probably supposed to be awake as well. Drats. He didn't want to go to school. Or whatever else he was supposed to be awake for. Usually anything that was in the morning was not his friend. Of course, the exception to that rule would be breakfast._

"_Nnn…f've mur m'nuts…"_

"_Netto-kun. Please" Covers, or lack thereof, forgotten, the brunette groggily rolled onto his side to face the hologram currently situated around his chest area. Everything was still a little blurry, and his head felt rather trampled upon, so even glancing up at his navi made him rather queasy. Nonetheless, brown eyes slowly focused on the green ones staring back at him. Normally, this should have been the point where he clicked everything together and figured out what was going on. But as it was, the brunette had just woken up, and he was none too on the bright side._

"_Rock, you okay?" it was quiet, and matched the navi's own subdued tone that had just been used. But, drastic measures __**were**__ needed for such a rare occurrence. This rare occurrence would be Rock's sudden __**lack**__ of volume for a wake up call. It was an event none too common if Netto did say so himself. After all, he'd been the one putting up with these wake-up calls for the past four-ish years. It really didn't help that Rockman was far from a normal color. His face was far more white than normal, and Netto doubted it was from the glare of the hologram. The human tendency to turn pale seemed to be something that his papa had added in for no apparent reason._

"_Tell me what's wrong" a shake of the head was the reply he received. And…was Rock __**smiling**__? That was…odd. Especially with those eyes, there were some very sad eyes going on there. Rather guilty eyes, rather miserable eyes. And yet, he was smiling. Making this –whatever __**this**__ was- more bearable than it seemed to be._

"_Just…look Netto-kun. Look around" The boy spared a rather hurt glance to his navi, before wiping the sleep sand from his eyes and doing as he was told. For a split second, it didn't look any different than his room, despite the fact that it was much larger and seemed to be in completely the wrong color scheme._

_And then he noticed._

_Boys and girls. From a rather young looking age -7, 8 tops- to his own age group. The room was filled with children. If he had to guess, there were maybe 30, maybe a few more. It was hard to tell, especially from his position on the floor. But missing that…he knew them! Or rather, he'd met some of them before. Yeah, he knew he had! That one over there was…Shuk? Shuns? Shunske? Ah…maybe he didn't quite know them. But he __**had**__ seen them before! At…the Christmas party at Sci-labs? Some of them were there…same with bring your child day. That was…interesting. Fellow Sci-lab kids?_

"_Rock…where…?" another shake of the head._

"_We don't know" he quietly admitted._

"_We?" another nod from Rock. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately._

"_The navis. Whoever…took you didn't seem bothered with leaving us with you. We figure that whatever they want, it has little to do with us, and that separating us would serve no purpose" The blue one had forgotten to add one bit to that statement._

"_So whatever this is, it has something to do with us. Something that they would need to snatch us off the street for" it was a bit that Netto was fine with adding in himself. "I'm guessing these guys got caught…" Another nod. Although, Rockman seemed to have regained a little bit of color. That was good; it made Netto happy. It meant that Rock was feeling better. And as long as Rock was semi-better, Netto would be fine as well. As long as he had Rockman, he was not alone._

"_From what I've heard, about the same thing happened to them. Around the same time as well."_

"_Because if they picked us up one by one, someone would make a connection between us" at a rather confused glance from his navi, Netto continued. "Because pretty much everyone here is a sci-labs kid, aren't they? I bet if you check the navi IDs…" The brunette didn't need to say anything else. Rock understood._

"_So…how's the signal?"_

"_You shouldn't have to ask" the brunette's face fell, and for a brief moment, Rockman thought that his netOP really __**had**__ been expecting good news from that. But what was he supposed to do…? Wireless paneling wasn't something that you could disable from inside a PET._

"_You're right, but it was still a nice try" Netto let out a short breath as he ran a hand through his bandanna-absent hair (stupid school and its stupid uniform). "Can't say I didn't think of it" a pause as he digested the facts. "I guess this means that aren't some new net mafia. And Enzan would probably be here too if they were some weird revenge group"_

"_We can't be sure. It's better to be careful" quietly admonished Rockman. 'Careful' meaning, 'don't go get yourself killed'. Though, it was rather doubtful that Netto was about to pick up on that._

"_Let's go find the door then!" a pause as Rock slapped his forehead in a slight twinge of annoyance, although he didn't really object any more than that. After all, how many other middle schoolers would go hunt for their kidnappers? Judging by the amount of children huddled on the floor, not many. Rock wanted to name the feeling welling up in his chest as pride, but quickly squashed it with the thought that he __**really**__ didn't want Netto to end up dead or hurt because of this._

"_But…After I get this stupid tie off. Who the heck came up with these things anyway? It's not fair!" Whether or not Rockman decided to find humor in the situation or not was still up for grabs. He had __**better**__ find it funny. Netto really was trying here. He didn't want it to be in vain, although, the disrobing still held a practical purpose. As he'd been on the way to his exams, he'd been required to wear his middle school uniform. He'd heard it was supposed to keep a student's mind from wandering during the test if they were in a stiff and scratchy uniform. Honestly…they needed to have more faith in the nation's youth! And it just wasn't fun to be wearing a blazer right now anyway. It'd been a warm year, and the jacket seemed redundant, but there was little he could do. At times, he wished that he was in fifth instead of eighth. At least __**then**__ he could still wear what he wanted. To add insult to injury, of __**course**__ his middle school had to be the one with the western uniform. In his opinion, a gakuran was much better. If nothing else, it didn't have a tie. _

"_There. All set" the tie and jacket were thrown in a heap onto the ground, wrinkles already beginning to set in. It would be an iron's nightmare._

"_Netto-kun, fold your clothes" he would have…but doing so would give Rockman time to fully consider the situation that they were in. Before he had been talking to the other navis, now his mind was preoccupied with finding the way out. Stopping would give Rock too much instance to ponder what these guys could possibly want a bunch of kids __**for**_

"_I'll do it later, come on" with one last disapproving glance back at the heap, Rockman obediently followed his operator and PET. It wasn't very far to the edge of the room, despite the multitude of children inside. Obviously, this hadn't been made for comfort._

_The hunt for the door was neither long nor difficult, as it was plainly visible due to its color. Netto was slightly happier to see a few kids already gathered around it, as it meant that at least __**some**__ of the group had a vague idea of what to do. They weren't really __**acting**__ on any of this yet, but at least it was a start._

"_S'cuse me…" budging his way to the front, the brunette plainly ignored the few whispered comments of 'Hikari Netto? __**The**__ Hikari Netto? They got __**him**__ too? We're so screwed…'. Instead, he chose to focus his efforts on seeing if there was any chance of it budging. Not that he expected it to, but there was always a chance. He'd taken down enough net crime, both outside and inside of the internet mind you, to know that it was always good to check for the obvious._

_No such luck here though._

"_I think we're in a warehouse" Rockman piped up after a few moments of silence. "The doors are built the same way, and the walls look like this is a storage area"_

"_Yeah" the brunette agreed absentmindedly. For a moment, it appeared Netto was in deep thought about the matter. A few of the younger children were looking on in awe at their contemporary hero, expecting a great plan that would be on par with those that the urban myths described him with. Although, if one truly knew Hikari Netto, they would have known that Netto and strategy did not go in the sentence without a form of the word 'not'._

"_Oi! Let us out!" instead, he preferred to take the action approach. "You can't keep us here forever!" children __**had**__ already been crying around the same thing. Although, Netto's yelling did seem to be blocking them out rather nicely._

"_Netto-kun…! I don't think-" Enzan wasn't here. Enzan was the one who usually came up with the brilliant plans. Rockman was the one who usually convinced Netto that the plan was the best course of action. Blues killed things._

_Netto stood his ground and believed._

_In what, it didn't matter, that was the amazing part. But whatever the case, Netto could be blind devotion at times. It was…rather comforting. But frustrating. Very frustrating at times. Especially when this devotion (whether it be to himself, Rockman, or otherwise…), put Netto in harm's way. Like now. Especially like now. Rockman had experience with the fact that kidnappers didn't like their kidnappees to be yelling and banging on things._

_Propped against the door, Netto was now putting all his weight against the structure in a futile attempt to break it down, although human bodies weren't really made to push down metal frames. Rockman was pretty sure of that much. "Netto-kun, this isn't working"_

"_You think I don't know that?" the teen grunted out as he ground his shoulder against the seemingly immovable object. It probably didn't help that the door was locked. The brunette lowered his head, though in the same movement brought it closer to the PET. Face obscured from view, the boy still continued to push. "But those kids can't know that. Give me a little time. I'm thinking here"_

_As it was, Netto's devotion was currently to his peers. This involved keeping them in the dark about how futile any form of escape was._

----

"Enzan…"

"Rockman" the dual haired boy acknowledged with a nod. However, that really wasn't what the blue navi had been looking for. "I don't suppose you could convince Netto to at least look at me, could you?" Ah, so Enzan had noticed.

"I…don't think so" Blues glanced over with his version of a raised eyebrow, questioning the current situation. It seemed that Blues hadn't picked up on it, or rather, he had chosen not to pick up on it out of respect. But now that it had become official business, Rockman doubted that the dual-haired boy could keep it quiet.

"He's still as stubborn as ever" Enzan finally muttered, running a hand through the white portion of his hair. "Annoying as well" Netto's eyes were turned upward and away from the visitors in his room. Rockman accepted this with resignation, as he wished it was otherwise. He hadn't expected otherwise, especially with Enzan in the room, but he had still hoped.

"Hikari, this is stupid. You know that. And while intelligence is far from your best quality, I think even _you_ should know that this is idiotic" the words broke Rockman out of his musings with a slight jolt. Enzan slowly and purposely crossed the distance from the door to the chair beside Netto's hospital bed and sat down with the obvious intention of acquiring some answers. It had taken some guts, Rock supposed. But if anyone could manage it right now, it was probably Enzan. Or Mama. Rock liked to imagine that if Mama could come and see Netto, then everything would be fine before they knew it. Mama was great that way.

But she couldn't come. Because she thought Netto was dead.

Until they caught those…those…_people_, Netto was dead. Netto was not Hikari Netto. He was a nameless faceless boy in the hospital who had attempted suicide through jumping off a building and cutting his arm to ribbon. It said so on his charts. It said nothing about the giant men who had intended to kill him, nothing about the contorted morals and beliefs that they adhered to. Nothing about the war they were trying to win. Nothing about the children who had been caught up in it.

"Netto, will you at least _listen_?" Rock really hated the way those eyes looked. They were just…_not_ his netOP. Netto was within them. You could see it. You could see the wheels and cogs turning within his mind, processing every word and action that went on around him, even though his conscience screamed otherwise. Enzan _was_ being heard. He just wasn't being acknowledged. There was a difference. A rather large one.

"Netto…you're such a brat" Blues shifted awkwardly next to him, a frown apparent on his otherwise passive features.

"Blues?"

"Enzan-sama told the officials that he would be acting solely in the interests of the government. I am under orders to call in another official if it appears Enzan-sama is breaking these terms" the crimson navi paused –Rock swore it was just for the drama- "But I feel this would be beneficial to neither Enzan-sama nor Netto-san" Rock grinned at that.

"Thanks Blues" The taller navi acknowledged the appreciation with nothing more than a 'hn', as he turned back to watch the exchange. To most, his fangirls included, Enzan at the moment appeared completely calm and relaxed while he was addressing Netto. And, essentially, he was. Or, he believed himself to be. Whichever worked.

"Did they tell you _anything_? Any plans? Any allies to threaten you with?" Netto was still staring at the ceiling. Eyes blank to the whole world outside of Rockman. '_Is this silence __**really**__ the best thing for him?_' the AI obedience was back with a vengeance it seemed.

"A place for retreat?" Rock frowned at the one-sided conversation, though made no move to stop it. '_You…no, __**we**__, know what to do, don't we? We could convince him so easily, and everything would be back to normal_' But it wouldn't be back to normal. Because what was being suggested had already been tried. He just didn't want to admit it. Because if Netto really was…if he really did think…if he actually **was**…if he really was **angry**, angry with Rockman, Enzan, Blues, everyone…

He didn't really know what he would do.

"Any more targets? Anything? Hikari, these people will **kill** you if they ever find out you're here! By being silent, all you're doing is giving them another chance at it!" a pause as the dual-toned teen's fist tightened. "Rockman and I did not save you _so that you could throw away your life_" Rock's fists tightened as well. '_Too far? Is that too far? Is the __**truth **__too far?_'

It was funny, the blue navi would later muse, how Enzan and Netto treated each other. He supposed that it was really only pride in the way, but it was still funny, amusing even. This included the measures taken by one in order to put the other back in his place, be it from depression, anger or otherwise. Usually Enzan would end with a look, and Netto would end with words that were hard **not** to believe in. Rockman would later look back on this hospital setting with a faint sense of nostalgia and find it ironic that Enzan was the one with words. This would be _until_ he remembered how Netto retaliated.

It was rather sudden, one minute Rockman was glancing anxiously at Enzan, the next he had turned –seemingly by instinct- and had been treated to the sight of Netto's brown eyes glaring upward. They were not eyes meant with the brunette's face, even though they held the same raging emotions, they were not meant to be. Too accusatory, too severe, and far too old. Those eyes were not his netOP's.

It was around that point in time that Enzan finally noticed that Netto had been listening but not acknowledging.

* * *

_First and foremost a big congratulations to everybody who has just completed the SATs today! (myself included) I'm a second time-round veteran and they were still hard. Alas, I've still got three whole years till I graduate; Nonetheless, this is the celebratory chapter. Congratulations again SAT takers! Our lives have just become a little less stressful._

_Missing that, I'm afraid this chapter is a bit filler-ish. I'm sorry. All I can do is offer author art for the story, showing Netto in his uniform: www .deviantart. com /deviation/54553382/_

_But I digress, this time the thanks go out to Necklace of Raindrops, redharuka96 and Firehedgehog for the wonderful reviews, I can't express how happy it makes the swiss moo-moo girl to know her story is being read. On that note, thank you all (currently) 267 hits! I appreciate it.  
_


	4. Giving Space

"_I would rather be a coward than brave because people hurt you when you are brave"_

-E.M. Forsters

* * *

"_Oi! Let us out!" In a few moments they were going to figure it out. He still hadn't quite decided upon what the heck he was going to say. That was bad. It wasn't critical. But it was still bad. In the worst case scenario, the other kids might not be so eager to do anything again if they knew how hopeless the situation looked._

_Which was why he thought it was a miracle when the door opened._

"_Woah!" the teen had been putting all his weight on the door, so it was only natural that he was sent sprawling when it suddenly lurched out from under him. A shadow was already looming over him, one that Netto assumed to be a kidnapper. Well, he'd gotten their attention at least._

_Without giving himself or the shadow time to figure the situation out, Netto dove forward to what he assumed was behind the attacker. He kicked out with his leg on instinct, hoping to trip the shadow and possibly make this much easier. He'd done this enough times in crossfusion that his body was beginning to remember the muscle movement involved, so Netto wasn't too terribly surprised when he heard a grunt as the blow struck._

_However, he __**was**__ surprised when something, or rather, someone, grabbed a fistful of his hair and pulled upwards._

"_Netto-kun!" Dammit, there'd been two. How the hell had he forgotten to check for another one? If Enzan or Laika ever found out he'd never hear the end of it. Ah, but maybe he had bigger things to worry about at the moment. Say, perhaps, what the heck would a rather tall, pissed off and angry looking kidnapper do to him? Netto ground his teeth to bear the pain of his scalp, while squirming and jerking his body with all he had. He needed to get down before the guy decided what to do. Even though there wasn't much else he could…_

'_**Thud**__'_

_Later, Netto would swear that he'd thought he was dead. Lacking a proper analogy outside of crossfusion, the closest he could come up with was that he'd been shot. He'd heard it was like a cement block to the gut, and that was certainly what it felt like. The boy barely noticed as he was thrown to the ground from the backlash. He skidded once, then stopped, immobile._

"_tto-ku…! Nett…" Ugh…that, hadn't been fun. At all. Groggily, the boy began to raise his head again to see one of the men moving towards him again. It slowly dawned on him that he'd only been punched, rather brutally, in the gut. There wasn't any blood. His head was swimming and he couldn't see straight, but there wasn't any blood. He __**really**__ needed to learn how to take a punch outside of crossfusion._

"_Ugh. The weakest dogs bark the loudest, don't they?" he didn't know which one it was hovering over him, but by the shadow, he hazarded a guess at the second. Maybe he'd actually put the first out of commission…? "Can't even take a punch properly" funny, he'd just been thinking the same thing._

"_And we didn't even do anything yet. How's that for anger management?" Netto began pushing himself up from the floor, he wasn't going to stay down for long; not if he could help it! "Just stop it. You haven't even heard us out yet"_

_And he couldn't really help it as the larger man's boot connected with his gut. __**That**__, had not felt good. He coughed roughly once, twice, three times; hacked up the bile that was rising in the back of his throat; hoped he hit the man's shoes if he really did lose his breakfast from two stupid punches. Hah, so much for setting an optimistic example for the other kids…_

"_Enough Ares" A pause ensued. "You'll scare the children" oh, so he __**hadn't**__ taken out the second one. It'd been a nice thought while it lasted._

"_Ah, but I thought we __**wanted**__ them scared, Mars…" Netto took the reprieve greedily. Despite the nausea from his stomach and the shooting pain of what might have been a cracked rib or two, the brunette rolled onto his hands and knees. "If I'd kicked his guts out, we could've gotten a good prediction out of this" The net savor __**really**__ didn't like the way that sounded. What was even more worrying that the first one didn't seem to have any argument to the whole 'prediction out of his guts' business._

"_I understand you all wish to know why you are here" but it seemed that they weren't going to act on the notion. That was good. Netto let out a sigh of relief as he struggled to pull himself to his knees alone. "Know that we will not harm you if you do not give us a reason" Now that the brunette had a clearer view of the two, he realized that the calm one was slightly larger, despite any stereotypes that would say otherwise. He was generally used to the intelligent yet puny adversaries, who made partners of the larger, yet stupider, gorilla-type people._

_But sometimes stereotypes were wrong._

"_-this boy. He has learned" it took a second to register that the guy was talking about __**him**__, to which Netto responded with a scowl. Rockman had gone silent once his NetOp had pulled himself up, but still looked worriedly between the two parties involved. Maybe Netto didn't know it, but Rock was pretty sure that another punch __**would**__ knock the boy out. That…was something he didn't want. Quickly, he scanned the two over, though visibly relaxed as he concluded that neither appeared to have a gun. Both had the hilt of something or other tucked into their belt, but otherwise, they were just two slightly tan men in jeans and t-shirts._

"_Your stay will be brief, as we will return you to your families once we have completed our negotiations with them and the Ministry of Science" __**That**__ made a lot of sense. Suddenly it clicked why he recognized so many children here. There __**was**__ a reason they were all from the science labs!_

"_So what do you want? To set some giant virus out on the internet? Steal some research? Take over the world?" He'd dealt with this before. He could do it again. If he and Rock could just have a go at their navis they'd be out of here in no time. It would be easy to win against these two, chips or no, and then once Rock was in the system, he'd get the doors open and they could escape in no time flat._

"_You misunderstand. In the name of Cariocecus we wish to win a war. We need weaponry and software. Your country's Ministries of Science and Warfare have declined our plea for such things, so we have been selected to take it by force. You will remain here until we obtain these programs and weaponry" it was…simple. Very simple. It was so simple that Netto was sure that the science labs knew a way to counter this. He just didn't know what that way __**was**__. Unable to make a reply that wouldn't make him give this tidbit of information away __**or**__ sound like an idiot, Netto chose to keep a frown on his face, yet remain silent._

"_Not that I would suppose you know who Lord Cariocecus __**is**__ anyway. Nor would I think that you would even know __**where**__ our war is taking place" oh. He was a monologue fanatic. Well, at least __**one**__ thing about this whole 'being kidnapped' business was stereotypical._

"_I don't even care whoever this lord of yours is! There's no way Science labs would ever help you kill innocent people!" an eyebrow rose from the one known as Mars. The other, Ares, flat out began to laugh. The brunette and his navi looked uneasily to each other as the laugher filled the room._

"_Innocent!" Ares finally roared. "Oh that's good! __**Innocent**__!" He continued to laugh out, to the point that it seemed tears were springing to his face. A thin smile graced Mars's lips, as he too found humor in the situation._

"_We come from Port-o-Caldo" Ares finally added, as if this explained everything. Which it didn't. Not to Netto at least. Cue obscure and torment filled back-story he supposed. This could be a long one too, stories that were based on wars always were. Vaguely, the brunette wondered if he'd get kicked again if he fell asleep._

"_Whatever the case, just behave and we guarantee that we will return you to your parents unharmed. We swear that we will not harm you, even if our beliefs ask for otherwise" It was the slightly calmer voice of Mars that spoke up this time. But they weren't going to tell a long and boring story? Damn…if they had, he might've had a chance to escape…_

"_Says the guys who kidnapped us" a snort. "Generally guys like you say we'll be okay, then end up killing us the moment the deal goes sour" He couldn't help it. The bad habit of speaking before he thought had screwed him over more than once before, but he'd never thought to change it. Too much work he supposed. But whatever the case, it was the truth, wasn't it?_

"_And this kid isn't behaving!" the tight voice of Ares snarled. 'Restrained' Rockman noted as he took the sharp glance that the second one, Mars, had also given Netto. The fact that his netOP was grinning fiercely throughout all the malevolent attention directed his way did nothing to quell the growing anxiety within Rockman's AI._

_Neither did the fact that the brunette was still grinning as they both advanced. "Netto-kun..." the navi quietly pleaded, though what exactly he wanted wasn't very clear. Stopping the grin would do nothing now. Apologizing wasn't a very Netto like option –he doubted that would work anyway– and physically stopping them…_

_Netto was only in 8__th__ grade. He was only 40 kilos, only 151 centimeters. He had only engaged in man to man combat thrice outside of crossfusion, and only against people only slightly larger than himself. Ares looked just shy of 2 meters, and Mars looked like he topped it. They looked muscled. They didn't seem to have any moral qualms about using a middle-schooler's innards for predictions of the future._

_So there was very little that could be done when Ares grabbed a fistful of Netto's hair and hoisted him upward once more._

"_Stop it!" Rockman's voice did even less than the resistance that his NetOP managed. At best, the blue navi was ignored. Netto wasn't however and he continued to wriggle in the hold of Ares. To his credit however, the brunette did not appear visually scared, instead keeping his gaze level and his mouth in a constant frown._

"_Lord Cariocecus is very precise within his books pertaining to the punishment of an enemy for improper behavior. As you may have heard, we treat the guts of those who oppose us as tools with which we can obtain insight into future events. Although, we generally __**cut**__ out the guts of those we wish to sacrifice. Its much easier than kicking" Netto's frown remained firm, even though Rock could see the beginnings of sweat to form on the back of his neck._

"_There's no point in holding me hostage if you're just going to kill me for my guts. So talk all you want, it's not going to happen" Netto was actually rather surprised at how well that had come out. Granted, he had a lot of practice dealing with obnoxious "bad guys", but it had still come out stronger than he'd hoped._

"_I haven't __**finished**__" Mars was glaring down his nose at Netto, accenting the difference in height. "If circumstances differ so that we do not want, need, or for some reason cannot complete the foresight, we offer the arm of our captive to Lord Cariocecus himself. I __**do**__ believe that its possible to sever a limb without killing a person, don't you?" It was then that Rock noticed the handles in the belts of Mars and Ares were attached to something else._

_Knives._

_As if on cue, Mars drew the knife from his belt, passing it directly underneath the brunette net saver's line of vision. The sweat continued to fall on the back of Netto's neck. Rockman's fists clenched tightly. He waved it across once more before finally stopping the point of the knife underneath the brunette's chin._

"_There are approximately 5 liters of blood in an adult male. A boy such as yourself has about 3 liters. You are in minimal danger of death and would most likely survive without a transfusion up until the point where you have lost 30 of your blood. That is a whole liter" The knife had abandoned its spot at Netto's chin, instead tracing down the side of his neck and across the collar bone, stopping finally at the tip of the shoulder. Rockman uneasily watched the progression of the object from the other side of his NetOP, trying rather visibly not to show any fear on the matter._

"_Did I mention that Lord Cariocecus accepts blood as well as limbs?"_

_Netto winced and ground his teeth as the knife suddenly slashed down, tearing through his paper thin school shirt and into the tender skin underneath. But dammit he could take this. He'd taken a sword wound during crossfusion too many times to count. This wasn't any different He could take it. Not a peep escaped his mouth._

"_Consider that a warning" And suddenly Netto was on the ground with his arm clenched over his shoulder, Rockman had already run to it and begun to administer medical advice, and Ares and Mars had turned their back on the room._

"_Don't let that happen to you, kiddies"_

* * *

"Hikari-hakase"

"Enzan-kun" a pause. What could tentatively be labeled an awkward silence drifted into the room as Yuuichiro continued to sit by his computer and Enzan continued to stand by the door. Neither made a motion to move towards the other, though neither attempted to exit the conversation that had so easily begun. They continued to stare.

"We visited Netto-san, Hikari-Hakase" this meant that it was up to Blues to break the silence. Enzan sent his navi a look that might have been indignation, or might have been thanks. Yuuichiro couldn't quite tell as he continued to stare awkwardly, still unsure of what he was supposed to say. He was a researcher. His salary was not based on his social skills.

"Ah. That's nice. How is he?" he kept his face calm. Kept it restrained. He wanted to say emotionless, but that was too far. He was not some faceless shell after these events, he was still Yuuichiro Hikari, senior researcher for the Ministry of science. He had not been changed. The world had changed. He was just making sure that he kept afloat in it.

"You have visited him, correct?" Enzan received a nod as Hikari-hakase's reply.

"Correct. I saw him both yesterday and the day before, although the doctors wouldn't let me in the first day. But you haven't answered Enzan-kun. How is he?" the dual toned boy frowned at the response and subsequent question he was given. _He_ was supposed to be asking all the questions here. If nothing else, he had a duty to the officials to figure out how to get the information from Netto. For the moment, he wouldn't dwell on any personal reasons as to why he would do so either. It made the professional side of his job too difficult.

"Did he act any…different?" the uneasy –and rather fake- smile that had wormed itself onto the researcher's face was quick to give way to a frown. He'd said something wrong…or right. It depended on how you looked at it really. In Enzan's book, unhappy faces usually meant the truth on such subjects.

"Netto will not speak to anyone. If that is not different to you Enzan-kun, then I suggest you stop your investigation right now" rather blunt. But it worked. It confirmed the fact that Netto wouldn't talk to anyone. Well, he was actually still working out whether or not the brunette would talk to Rockman. He'd actually meant to ask the blue navi about that…but the look on Netto's face from their _encounter_ earlier had sent him out of the room without a chance to pry these answers loose.

"Did he seem…cranky?" no, that wasn't the proper word for it. It made it seem too simple. Made it seem like any day now Netto would wake up with a yawn and suddenly start jabbering to the plants or some other such nonsense.

Yuuichiro sighed.

"Enzan-kun, questions like these will not get you anywhere. I'm not a psychologist. But I can still figure that much out. Just give him time. He'll snap out of it. If for nothing else he'll do it for Rockman's sake. Sooner or later, Netto is going to figure out that this silence is hurting only those around him and doing nothing to qualm the ghosts from what happened" the scientist turned back around to his console, fingers already dragging themselves to a standard typing position.

"Until then, we just need to give him a lot of space"

* * *

_I'm sorry about how short this is, and about how long it took. There's not a lot I can do about it. Also very sorry if this seems rushed and rather crappy. I suppose you may label the first part cliché as well…honestly, I've resorted the cardboard cutout scary-man with a knife who threatens the main character. Unfortunately, I've fallen far. I seem to have lost a point to this story._

_On a completely different note, the next time I update I'll be 15! Cheers for May birthdays! Lets hope my writing improves with the addition of an extra year._

_Finally, many thanks again for all the love. Once again my eternal gratitude goes out to __Necklace of Raindrops, redharuka96 and Firehedgehog__ for the reviews. Believe me; it does more good than you think. Thank you also for all 444 hits XD excuse me while I find it funny that while I upload chapter 4, I have 444 hits. Cut me some slack, this makes me laugh._


	5. Numb

"_It is better to sleep on things beforehand than lie awake about them afterward"_

-Baltasar Gracian

* * *

_Netto was seriously pondering one thing and one thing alone. It was not whether or not he could get curry at this place, or indeed, even if he would be fed in the first place. It was not if or when the "rescue" team would ever come to fish them out. It wasn't even how many times the other kids could send dirty looks his way for pissing off their captors. No, it wasn't any of those._

_Instead, the brunette wondered if his papa hadn't programmed Rockman with a little __**too**__ much worry in his AI._

"_Rock…I can't feel my arm" the navi nodded sagely from his sitting point on Netto's chest whilst said net savor pouted. "I'm blaming you if it falls off. There's no blood left in my fingers" he waved his hand awkwardly to emphasize his point, glaring at the lobbing of the numbed digits._

"_But at least you will __**have**__ blood" Netto groaned. He was tempted, oh so very tempted, to point out that he wouldn't have bled out with just that cut on his shoulder. He'd ended up worse before and had had much longer intervals between injury and treatment on top of that. So what was Rock so worried about? Good question. Even the brunette didn't know the answer to that one._

"_Just keep it raised Netto-kun. You've still got a while until you should change the bandage" As one would expect, there had been no convenient bandages nearby. Although, Netto was proud to say that he'd finally found a use for that jacket of his. It was a bit scratchy material-wise, but it beat blood all over his arm. That was never fun, he was speaking from experience here._

"_But I'm __**fine**__" He was whining again. So sue him. He was lying on the cold hard ground of some warehouse, being held captive by some weirdos, being glared at by people who he'd thought would help him, hungry, wounded, embarrassed, and bored to boot. 'Think positive' Rock had told him a few minutes earlier._

_The best he could come up with was that he didn't have to take his entrance exams._

_The brunette groaned and shifted slightly, although he duly kept his arm raised as Rockman had instructed. He was pretty sure that it'd stopped bleeding, but the material of his jacket was too dark to really tell. Honestly speaking, the middle schooler was pretty sure that he needed stitches on the stupid thing. It'd looked pretty deep, it stung rather fiercely and he _was_ a little lightheaded…but not enough so that he couldn't think clearly. He wasn't stupid enough to share this tidbit with Rockman, and unless he really did go into blood loss, he wouldn't for a very long time. The net savor was moderately sure now that the navi was worrying just to keep busy, as opposed to an actual purpose. Because if Rockman didn't stay busy for now, he would be forced to actually pause, take a breath and think about it; 'it' being the situation at hand._

_Normally, Rock could keep his cool under stress. Mostly in any case. It was standard, Netto would get all riled up about an insignificant matter, and the blue navi would be the one standing there in his PET to force him to calm down, figure out exactly __**what**__ to do, –not just the half hazard whims Netto schemed- and act upon it._

_Where Netto's health was concerned, the reverse was true._

_Rock, for the moment at least, refused to really think about all the events thus far. Netto didn't blame him. His own mind seemed to be wandering from the subject as well. A humiliating defeat -even if it was 2 on 1 with people double his size and it seemed thrice his fighting experience- such as that which had occurred was not something either took well, especially when there seemed to be greater things at stake; for instance, the safety of the children around them. If he'd just __**tried**__ a little harder, __**dodged**__ a little faster, __**been**__ a little more tough, __**set**__ a better example…__**maybe**__ he could've escaped._

_Maybe._

_The thought was entertained for a few moments longer before Netto gladly let it fall away like a leaf in the wind…a stone in a pond…a crap in the toilet…or something like that. He'd never been good at poetry, especially when he had a giant gash on his arm; writing wasn't really one of his strong points he supposed. Unconcerned, the net savor's eyes drifted lazily down from their previous spot on the ceiling, downward…down…down…huh…wait…oh! Look…it was Rock! What a coincidence! Never would he have expected to see his navi. Ever. Complete surprise there._

"_What?" Rockman shook his head in a 'nothing' gesture, although his eyes were kept elsewhere._

"_No. Seriously. What?"_

"_Just keep your arm up Netto-kun" the green eyes were staring off into space in what Netto had dubbed the 'data-transfer stare of zombiness'. Although, where would he be getting said data from? Wireless-blocking paneling was in place, right? So that could only mean that the PET was saying something…the brunette made a move in the hopes of discovering the object of Rock's vigilance on his PET screen, only to receive a sharp glance as his clothing rustled from the movement. "Netto-kun…what did I just say? You need to take a rest. Today has been very-" for a second Rock paused, stumbling and hesitant over words that he couldn't quite convince his mouth to form. That was enough of a chance._

_Before the navi had a chance to finish his sentence, Netto had pushed himself upward with his good arm. For a moment –missing the part where Rock unsuccessfully tried to block his field of view- it seemed nothing was wrong and that maybe it had been just nothing. Huh…was the paranoia rubbing off on him? It seemed that way…_

_What was that smell? Slightly sweet, a bit familiar, Netto fought to place it. He'd smelt it before, even if he couldn't quite remember it. He sniffed more deeply, hoping to classify it with an extra lungful. Rock's eyes widened, his hands flew into a flurry of motion in an effort to discourage the inhaling. _

"_What?" the boy groggily intoned. He paused briefly, feeling something…off…about his arm. Wait, hadn't his arm been bleeding, or hurt, or something? His eyes traced the shoulder wound, frowning at the gravity of the gash. But still, it was supporting him all of a sudden, wasn't it? The boy failed to make the connection as to when…_

_Wait, nevermind._

_Both arms gave out and his head hit the ground with a sickening crack. Rockman was right beside him again, but he couldn't __**quite**__ place…what was he trying to say…don't leave? No, it was, it was…don't…breathe? Yes, breathe! But that was silly, he had to breathe. He needed to breathe to live…no, fly, eat perhaps, or maybe he needed to breathe to keep his eyes open? It was something like that in any case…correct? Right, of course…although that really didn't…quite…really…matter…much…a lot…or…at all...why…?_

"_Netto-kun!"_

_Rock?_

_It wasn't really all that important anyway, he decided on. And then he was out like a light._

* * *

Padding down the corridor of the hallway, Enzan was convincing himself that he still wanted to do this. There was no question as to whether or not he _would_. He had been assigned a mission. He had been assigned -perhaps _ordered_ was a better way to phrase it- to extract information from Hikari Netto, in able to better combat the threat that his kidnappers posed to the security of the country. Or was that 'had posed'? He wasn't completely sure. 

"Enzan-sama"

"Blues?" there was a slight cough from the PET as said navi pondered a way to put this properly.

"You just passed Netto-san's door"

"Oh" about face then. Was his body trying to tell him something? Probably. Then again, he wasn't really one to listen in the first place. The door was a normal door, identical to all the others in the hospital hallway in shape and color and…

Why did his door have a guard?

Inwardly, Enzan wasn't quite sure what he was supposed to be feeling. Maybe it was relief that they were watching him? Or perhaps it was anger that he was still in danger? Confusion as to why the guard was from Sharro perhaps? Nonetheless, outwardly the dual-haired boy merely frowned slightly and pulled out his PET to flash the badge given to him. With a grunt, the soldier nodded him in.

Enzan paused for one last moment, hand hovering over the doorknob. Did he want to do this? The answer was…it was…_yes_. As a friend, comrade, rival…whatever he and Netto were classified as, he **did**. Netto had forced a few things into his head about friendship. Example? The fact that friends were allegedly there for other friends in times of need. Enzan supposed that now, of all times, was a time of need.

Depressingly, the first sight to meet his blue eyes was that of Netto's unresponsive form. The brown eyes stared blankly upward, completely missing the ceiling and continuing on to some plane of thought that Enzan did not have access to. The only possible interpreter to the situation was no where to be found as Rockman's PET hummed softly, though without the holographic form of the navi to sit upon it. Closer inspection revealed that the blue one was not home, a cause for…worry? Perhaps.

Someone coughed.

The dual-haired boy whirled with tense muscles, only to pause with recognition of the familiar face. Laika raised a single eyebrow, wordlessly questioning Enzan as to what he was so anxious over, along with how in the world he had managed to miss him. Gloved fingers drummed on an arm, expecting an answer.

"Laika" the net savor finally acknowledged.

"Enzan" nodded back the soldier from Sharro.

As Rockman quietly logged back into his PET, he nodded once to Searchman and again to Blues, neither of which decided that they needed to break the staring contest between their NetOPs with an declaration of his arrival. The blue navi was also content to merely watch. He needed at least a short break after talking with the doctor after all, and the relentless questioning of Enzan once he discovered him would do nothing to deliver that.

"I didn't know that you were still in here" the dual haired boy finally admitted. He wasn't rude…just blunt. "I thought you already went back to Sharro with the minister"

"The minister has returned, but Nori-san and I have been asked to watch over Netto as a sign of goodwill between our countries until we are notified otherwise" Searchman and Rockman both verified this with a nod to Blues, who hadn't really had any doubts in the first place.

"Has he spoken to you?" the soldier's green eyes seemed to be frowning at him now, as if the mouth couldn't quite cover the muscle movement needed to express such contempt on its own. Far before Laika had given himself enough time to form the words from his mouth, Enzan already had his answer.

"No. I haven't seen him speak since the video" In hindsight, it really was a wonder how well Netto had been able to adjust Laika to socializing. Especially if he had routinely acted the way he was now. "I forget" he dryly added, "Did you watch the whole thing?"

"Enzan! I didn't know you were here!" Rock called out before a fight could escalate. And even then, for a moment it appeared as if there would still be a brawl nonetheless. Blues and Searchman both looked uneasily out of Rockman's PET screen as the green haired boy continued to stare down the dual-haired one.

"I didn't need to. He wasn't speaking anymore, it didn't _count_ as speaking." With that Enzan turned his back and decided to glare at Netto's bed instead. Laika did much the same, except with the cracked ceiling above them both. Searchman gave an apologetic nod before logging back into his operator's PET just as Blues 'Hn'-ed and returned to his own.

Rock just fidgeted awkwardly as his own NetOp refused to acknowledge any of them.

"Ah, Enzan, do you know if Papa planned to visit? He said that you stopped by, but he forgot to…" it seemed that the dual haired boy was pulling the same tactic that Netto was; Laika too. An uncomfortable silence wafted into the room finally, one which brought about the parting of neither Enzan nor Laika.

Unimpressed, the navi turned back to the doctor's report in his file banks and proceeded to read it over

…again

* * *

"_Netto-kun! Come on…you can't fall asleep now" the urged whisper did no good as the brunette continued his slumber. The PET sensors had been right, just as Rock had feared. The carbon and hydrogen levels had been spiking, and he'd been tipped off by the seldom used chlorine indicator. CHCI__3__, better known as chloroform. Used in large doses as it just had been, Rock was surprised that the occupants of the room weren't dead._

"_Rockman-san-"_

"_Rockman-sama"_

"_Shu has…"_

"_Maho won't-!" the world around him suddenly seemed to slow as more and more navis proceeded to log into his PET, all of which claiming about the same thing. Their Ops wouldn't wake up. The extra processor speed being used up at the moment was enough to give the navi a headache, and the voices, e-mails and vid-mails of those around him really weren't helping all that much._

"_What do we..?"_

"_Are they trying to __**kill **__them-?" He really hadn't liked that last one._

"_Everyone, please calm down!" a bit of the chatter died, though not enough to make a difference in the cramped quarters of his PET. There was more than enough memory in his PET for the presence of 5 or even 6 navis. If they had a particularly small file size, he could even fit as many as 9 in there as well without any noticeable lags in performance. More than 20 however…? And all custom navis with large sizes? Yeah…no way._

_Later, Rock would blame what happened next on the video feed lag between himself and the camera. Not that he could have done much to prevent it anyway, but it was really the thought that counted. After all, a navi could do very little to prevent the tying up of their netOP, correct?_

_Correct._

* * *

_I got my SAT scores back :P proof that Marsh needs to improve her writing? She got a 7 (out of 12) on the essay. Ah well, her math was fine (750 baby!), and that's all that really matters. Anyway, I'm done with exams! Thank you life! You have –finally- given me a break…at least…until I start to move boxes. Moving sucks :P Sorry if the next update won't be for a while. We've gotta pack house and such, not sure if or when I'll be able to get on the compu :P_

_So…onto the thank yous…First and foremost to Necklace of Raindrops, who is awesomeness on a stick and provides me with inspiration after I read her awesome stories. Also muchos thanks goes to __redharuka96 and Firehedgehog for the lovely reviews. And of course, to all 587 readers, thanks._

_On a side note, I'm considering a beta, since I keep on confusing even myself with my odd way of writing. If anyone would be interested, please contact me via PM or at chibireeses13 through hotmail. –till next time!_


	6. Talking

"_You were trembling, crying alone.  
Hey? Are you afraid of being alone?  
Maybe you are weak and people pick on you.  
If I had more courage,  
I would have given you a hug"_

_­_-Jungle Smile, "Dakishimetai"

* * *

"_Sir, one minute until broadcast"_

_For as long as he could remember, Netto had hated waking up. It didn't matter whether it was 7 in the morning or 2 in the afternoon, rising up and out of bed was not something he enjoyed. It wasn't as if he was sleep deprived and needed the rest; far from it as Enzan could protest. He was a living bundle of energy. The day that Hikari Netto fell asleep -while the sun was still shining- from anything other than boredom was the day that the world ended; or so had said Laika as he tried not to laugh after the brunette had fallen asleep on the written report for his mission debriefing._

_He still didn't like the waking up process though. Who was he to stop dreaming? Dreams were nice, most of the time anyway, and they tended to make life just that much more bearable. Granted, anyone in his class at school could tell you that he dreamed during lessons as well...but that was beside the point. The point __**was**__ that he shouldn't be forced to stop thinking of happy things just because he had other tasks to do in real life._

_Perhaps he needed another reason to hate getting up._

_If these headaches kept up, he really would have one. This was what…twice now? In a row? It was pretty bad, especially for him. This wasn't even counting the monster pains that he'd developed from studying so late into the night. Yeah, you could laugh. __**Him**__, studying of all things. Hilarious. Knee-slapping. Just get the torment over with. There were many jokes you could make about him and books, and he could guarantee that he'd heard them all at least three times before. Just because Netto hated studying like other sane child didn't mean that he skipped out on it entirely._

_Shocking thought really._

'Geeze, here it comes…'_ Waking up? Yes. It sucked. A lot. There was nothing he could do about that fact. Nor could he seem to prevent it if it came naturally. Although, why wasn't Rock harping at him to get up? Hadn't they discussed this already? Netto needed to be awake as constantly as possible…blah blah blah…keep watch over kids…yadda yadda yadda…prevent any further injuries…stuff like that. So where __**was**__ his oh so dear alarm clock? The brunette would have liked to say that the navi had been with him when he'd conked out, but his brain really wasn't being cooperative today. A shame really, he might have needed it at present. Escaping while missing his brain really would be a feat!_

"_Rock…?"Maybe the blue one just didn't know Netto was awake. His eyes were still crusted closed, so it was plausible at best. Hopefully the navi knew what was going on with his arms being behind his back and unable to move. Huh, funny, his feet and ankles wouldn't budge either. Weird. Really weird. Was he already sitting? He just couldn't quite…_

"_Rock-"Rockman was __**so**__ going to get it if Netto had to open his eyes. That would just be cruel. Once your eyes were open it was impossible to go back to sleep. He was speaking from experience here. But at this rate, it was going to be necessary to open them and look for his partner, despite his body's call to do otherwise._

_Mainly, fall back into dreamland._

"_Rock…man…" dammit, he hated this. He hated being here, he hated being useless, he hated having to sit around, he hated his arm, hated the people, hated being awake, hated the world…How more angst could he generate? Probably quite a bit more…he still hadn't covered how hungry he was, or how badly he had to pee, or how weird it was that he couldn't hear Rock._

"_30 seconds" Huh, now that hadn't been Rock. But perhaps if he thought about it more, he'd hear more voices? Yes, that sounded nice…until he considered the fact that this would involve him opening his eyes. And he still didn't quite want to…_

_Aw screw it. He wasn't getting back to sleep._

_Frowning, Netto slowly willed his eyes to open. It was actually harder than it sounded; after all, he __**was**__ tied up, stupid being-held-hostage. He couldn't move his hand to wipe away the crust that had settled over his eyes all because of some stupid piece of plastic. They'd put him on a chair and bound him to it like some sort of __**animal**__! He definitely despised his position. This was getting worse and worse by the minute. Offhandedly, he hoped that they had forgotten about any and all prior threats about amputating his limbs. Rockman wouldn't like that one…_

_Rockman…_

_Where the hell was he?! Eyes now open, and just the tiniest bit more awake, Netto allowed himself to panic for that moment. It seemed to be rather dark in the room, -_it was rather annoying that opening his eyes hadn't done any good-_ but he could feel it all the same. His PET wasn't there. Therefore Rockman was missing. He was __**gone**__. This was bad, very bad, horribly horribly wrongly absolutely impossibly really __**really**__**REALLY**__ bad! They had taken him! The-_

_At this point, it would be proper to note that Laika had picked up a horrible habit of swearing when he was stressed, as he __**was**__ around soldiers much older than himself pretty much constantly. Laika, in turn, had passed it onto an equally nerve-frayed Enzan. With both of them cursing whenever things got rough, it was only natural that Netto began to pick the habit up as well. Rockman disapproved, Netto couldn't help it, and Yuuichiro just hoped that Haruka would never find out._

_Hands struggling behind his back, Netto continued his inner cursing. They were __**so**__ going to get it later on. If he hadn't been so one minded, and perhaps, if it hadn't been so dark, the brunette might have noticed that he wasn't the only one missing his PET. More specifically, none of the children around him still possessed their personal terminal._

"_Rockman? Rockman!" whatever the case, it was no good. As the net savor called out for his navi, he still couldn't manage his voice above a whisper. So thirsty…when was the last time he'd had a drink, or for that matter, a meal? Then again, thinking about it wasn't going to get much done._

"_20 seconds" Straining his eyes, the boy finally managed to make out a few indistinct shapes before him. There were moving splotches of shadow which seemed to resemble human forms. However, the inanimate outlines seemed to elude his comprehension._

"_The navis?" this, of course, caught the brunette's attention. He stopped struggling within the dark room for a moment, as if the minute sounds made by his escape attempt would hinder the locating of Rockman._

"_Online" Netto's heart sank._

_A device, probably a PET of some kind, suddenly glowed what Netto had dubbed 'hologram green'; it was a piercing light in the middle of the rather gloomy darkness. There was a slight whirring, heard even by the brunette in his chair, before the glow expanded into a cube which hovered over the object. Although initially jagged, the cube was quick to smooth out its resolution, loosing some of its solidity in the process. Instead, the block quickly became more like a cage, complete with bars. And it was here that Netto found Rockman._

_There had to be a lot more children, there were so many navis in that thing. But before Netto even glimpsed the tell-tale armor, he knew Rockman was in there. He just __**had**__ to be. Vaguely, the boy wondered if that was a good thing or not. He knew where Rock was…Although, whether the navi was safe in there or not was another matter entirely._

"_Ten seconds" It took a fair amount of rustling, along with too many exaggerated glances to count, but in the end, it finally worked. In a moment the navy navi had scrambled to his feet and pushed his way to the front of the bars in an attempt to make sure that it really__** was **__Netto out there. His fingers grasped the bars despondently, posture a slightly bit slumped and features a tad crestfallen; something along the lines of '_We really need to get out of here' _Netto guessed. The brunette couldn't argue with that much at least. Nonetheless, in the dim light that the holograph provided Netto managed a weak grin, assuring the program that everything was okay on his end. The net savor's grin only grew as he watched Rock let out a small, yet rather uplifting, sigh of relief in a typical worry-wart navi fashion._

"_Five seconds" Momentarily distracted, Netto squinted upwards as a single light turned on in front of him. Not quite enough to illuminate his surroundings, or even his own face, but enough to identify at least one person within the room. Mars stepped in front of him with an aura of urgency, back straight and knife clearly visible; the man made no motion to address Netto, although he __**did**__ happen to be blocking the navis from sight. Whether this was more distressing to the human or his partner was still up for debate._

"_On air…now" A previously noticed screen blinked to life in front of the brunette, although, whatever happened to be occupying the monitor remained a mystery to Netto as Ares too blocked the way._

"_I'm glad you could all make it, and the ambassador of Sharo and his attack dogs… What a surprise. We're honored to be in your presence" a snort could be heard from the screen, and although he didn't want to get his hopes up –_actually, would that be down if he **didn't** want something?-_ the Sharo mention had been enough. Laika was probably there; who else could snort like that? _–He'd heard his fair share of snorting; after all, when you have a tendency to go up against lots of people who believe themselves to be your superior in every way possible, you tend to hear a lot of snorting, it becomes a life skill to uncover your enemy by the sound of their snort…-

"_I am here to assure you that as an ally of Sharo, Netopia will not cave to your demands. Hostages mean nothing, there are ways to circumvent that" Netto was really hoping that he –_a political official? Joy. Rapture. He **loved** political officials-_ just meant a rescue effort and not…_

"_Come now, don't scare the children with your heart of ice. They don't want to die…Look at these innocent faces…!" As soon as Mars finished, both he and Ares seemed to sweep to the side like a curtain. Suddenly, there was nothing between Netto and the screen. Vaguely, the boy realized it had been better when he had still been blocked off._

"_Papa…" the boy breathed quietly to himself. How long had he been gone? It hadn't __**felt**__ that long…surely no more than half a day, and yet there were such circles under Yuuichiro's eyes. Somehow, Netto doubted that he'd been counting time properly; this was the way his papa looked after a long project, something like four days without sleep._

"_I think they're just hungry" Enzan was a jerk, but you had to give him credit. At the very least, the morbid attempt at humor seemed to shock Yuuichiro out of his stupor. Which was a rather good thing, as Netto had the sinking feeling that those assembled had been treated to the sight of his bandaged arm. For the moment, the brunette wished that he'd left it un-wrapped, because at least it was laid out plain; but with his homemade bandage, Netto was quite sure his papa was putting his rather large imagination to use._

_Overprotective fathers never made good hostage negotiators._

"_Your terms are not very specific. 'Weapons and programs to use them with' gives us a lot of room'' Mejin-san too seemed to be back to his normal –_or rather, his socially acceptable-_ self. Netto spared a glance with Rock, who also seemed to be watching with rapt attention. It may have been selfish, but the brunette was glad he was there. Otherwise, Rock would have freaked out if he'd seen the bandage for the first time; this didn't need to be any harder than it was going to be. Of course, was missing the fact that the navi had freaked when it'd first been inflicted._

_But that was beside the point._

…_Although, what was also beside the point was the fact that the rope around his wrists was beginning to fray rather nicely against the back of his chair._

"_So you won't mind if we give you a water pistol then" he wouldn't put it past Meijin-san either. Although, the net savor got the feeling that if that happened no one would really be too terribly happy. Somehow, these guys didn't seem like the type to appreciate a good Meijin-san joke. A pity really._

"_Of course we have a more specific list" the brunette didn't want to know what was on that list, especially if it was going to be used to blow other people up. Unbeknownst to the assembly, his navi included, Netto only rubbed harder against the ropes. He had one shot to make this work. One shot to make sure he set his papa –_he didn't want to think that this was for Enzan, Meijin or Laika…but if worst came to worst…-_ straight about this._

_He wasn't going to have dead people on his conscience._

* * *

Since when had Enzan been so stubborn? Or rather, since when had he been so mad with Laika? No, mad wasn't the correct word. Mad made it sound like it was a fight over some petty matter. Rock didn't like to think that Netto counted as a 'petty matter'.

Nonetheless, this obstinacy was leading to some very un-Enzan like actions; Staying in the room, for one thing. Earlier, he'd defended himself with the cover that he was going to make sure Netto paid him back for all this work he was doing, or some other such nonsense. Rockman accepted the fact that the dual-haired boy cared as an actual friend, not just a teammate or some other excuse. Now all that Enzan needed to do was acknowledge that himself; although, it would probably help if Laika would do the same. Rock was being harsh, he admitted it, but if being harsh helped Netto-kun, he wasn't going to have any qualms about it.

As the soldier from Sharo still occupied the chair next to the door, Enzan had taken residence across the room, by the window. For the first hour, neither had acknowledged the other, and of course, Netto had yet to pay attention to either. Quite honestly, it was pathetic. All three navis agreed on that much.

It was a depressing thought that Rock had sided with Searchman and Blues over Netto.

* * *

_Enzan wanted to say that he had fully suppressed the scowl on his face. He really did. He just wasn't sure if that was correct or not. Especially with the rather scorning look that Laika had sent him a moment ago. Generally, that was a sign reserved for Netto, something along the lines of 'Get your act together'._

_He must have fallen far if Laika was giving it to him._

"_So you won't mind if we give you a water pistol then" There we go; Much better. It was enough to loosen his face in any case. Like Laika, he managed to mold his mouth back into a line. It felt natural…almost._

"_Of course we have a more specific list" and here the negotiations would start. As part of both IPC and the Net Savors, he was required to be here. This could end up delving into his company's equipment, something a vice president such as himself was required to oversee._

_Silence ensued for a moment._

"_Would you like it, or not?" the taller one was going to make them ask for it, was he? Wonderful._

"_It depends. Would you like these negotiations to continue, or not? I doubt we can continue on without an idea of what we're asking for" if this angered the people in the screen, they didn't show it. A pity really. Angry people made such easy negotiators. And with kids in the picture, Enzan figured they needed all the breaks that they could get._

"_Very well. We will send you the list. We will need these items within a short period of time, as our ability to hold our front lines is wavering" He paused to nod to someone off screen. "I'll save you some time, don't bother tracking it. Our best have covered the trail. Just fufill those requirements, and the neutral ground and date of the exchange is listed within" _

…_What the heck was Netto doing? _

"_And you'll keep them all alive?" He didn't honestly think…_

"_Does that really need to be asked?" He wasn't really planning to…_

"_It seems you've done a good job of carving one of them up already" Inwardly, Enzan pleaded that Netto would stop it. Right now preferably. Because any more…_

"_That was only because he misbehaved" Enzan shut his eyes just as Netto lunged._

* * *

Rockman hadn't known that Enzan snored. It really seemed like an un-Enzan-like thing to do. Then again, this whole mess was turning into a mishmash of a confusion that was making everyone act oddly. Himself included. Maybe it was Netto-kun that kept them all 'normal'. Probably not, but he liked to think it. It made it much easier to believe that once his operator was talking it would all be back to how it was before.

He didn't want to believe that there would be permanent scars from this.

It would have been rather easy to raise his voice at the moment. Laika was on a dinner break, Enzan was sound asleep –_judging by the circles under his eyes, he needed it_- and Blues knew well enough when to mind his own business. All it would have taken was a momentary jerk of power to his speech program, which would have then been divided into the tone, decibel and speed sub-programs. It wasn't hard at all.

Netto needed someone to talk to, didn't he? And Rock would be perfect for that! No…it was the other way around. He knew that much. It would have been nice to talk to Netto –_it sounded more like a whim, 'would have been nice' was something reserved for things like birthday cakes for a dead infant-_ but he couldn't. Papa said that Netto needed time. Rockman was patient. He could give time. He had all the time in the world. He was programmed to please, –_unless it was homework oriented, he'd been given leniency on that from the start…-_ not to fulfill the whims of some program within an artificial intelligence.

Even if those whims told him that they themselves were better for Netto than any 'space' could have been. Thoughts –_or_ _wants or wishes or desires; were they not all the same thing?_- like those were quick to spring up, yet slow to be squashed. It was an annoying problem to have in a time when discipline should have been so key.

"Ne, Netto-kun?" He'd tried this before. It hadn't worked. Why was he trying it again? Netto didn't _want_ to talk. He shouldn't be forced to –_he wanted to say that forcing someone to do something was never beneficial, but then all those nights of homework would have been for nothing-_ it wasn't cruel to force him, but it just wasn't right, was it? He shouldn't…

"You know, Enzan is really getting worked up about this, you just can't tell" he settled down into a cross-legged position on top of the PET. "I was sure that you were going to tease him about it by now. Although, I don't think any of us believe this is a very good joke, Netto-kun" wouldn't that be great? A joke. A tease. Hilarious. Knee-slapping. If it was, the brunette would get beat up for sure. And not just by Enzan.

Rockman liked to think that his operator had snorted after that statement.

"You're lucky too. They haven't sent any school work for you, and I think they might let you into high school without an entrance exam now. Everybody would love it if you came"

'_Are you serious? No exams? Score!'_ Rock didn't miss a beat as he nodded in agreement.

"I knew you'd be happy. Although, I don't think Meiru-chan or Dekao will be, you know how hard they studied, Roll and Gutsman were so worried about them! They weren't sleeping enough…"

'_I studied too you know…! I just slept more…'_ Another round of nods, although these were much closer to the sage nods that Rock was so accustomed to giving when he dealt with Netto.

"Yes, yes, I know. And that's all I can ask. I'm just telling you…"

"Ro-"

'_Aw, you're no fun'_

"Don't say I didn't warn you"

"Oi…-ckman…!"

'_They couldn't be __**that**__ mad…'_

"Remember last time you skipped out on a test because of Net Savor work?

"Rockman…! Sn-"

'_Yeah…they were pretty pissed…But this time is different_'

"How so?"

"Snap out of it!"

'_Last time…they didn't think I was dead'_

"Rockman!" the blue navi jerked as a hand clamped down on his shoulder. Basic programming kicking in faster than his logic files could process, the navy one grasped his own two hands around the intruding one and pulled. The result was that of the offending navi being thrown forwards to allow Rock the sight of-

"Blues!"

"You caught me off guard" the crimson navi mumbled. "I shouldn't have gone from behind, my apologies" With a tug, -_more out of his courtesy programming than any coherent thought_- Rock had pulled the swordsman to his feet with a barely heard 'sorry'.

"Mou, you shouldn't sneak up on someone like that though!" Although Blues lacked any distinct eyebrows, Rockman suddenly got the feeling that one was being raised at him. "What?" if possible, the feeling now said that it had only risen further.

"I was only trying to help" His confusion must have been evident, for Blues looked _very_ tempted to sigh, although, it was only temptation. The day that Blues sighed for such a matter was the day the world ended –_and coincidentally, the same day that Netto fell asleep from anything but boredom-_

"You are very lucky that Enzan-sama missed his cup of coffee today, he normally does not sleep so deeply" it seemed like it was supposed to be a subtle hint of some kind…although to what Rockman was still clueless. This, too, must have been evident.

"And I would suggest the next chance you get, to have Hikari-hakase take a look at your sound receptor programs" Still, nothing. It seemed that whatever had transpired, Rock's memory banks had chosen to throw it away. Finally, Blues decided on a more direct route.

"I don't know what you _thought_ Netto was saying, Rockman…But I can assure you that he was silent" a pause as the navy one digested this.

"Oh" he finally conceded. Unsure of whatever purpose he was to serve now, Blues finally nodded awkwardly, patted Rock on the back even more awkwardly, and then finally logged out.

Enzan, his 'snoring' halted and eyes squeezed shut through nothing but will, made a mental note _not _to ask Rockman if Netto would talk to him.

* * *

_I would like to note that the quote for this chappie is referring to Rock's little bit...Sorry, excuse the mess and other various things that made their way in that shouldn't have. Stress from moving. Five whole trucks filled with junk. Yay. In other news, I'll actually be in the states by Wednesday, so I can't wait for that. It'll be awesome. A whole month reprieve from Europe, nice :P_

_Excuse me now, I've hit an obsession with Axl (as in from the X series) its bad. Horribly bad. I spent at least half a day doing nothing but searching for fanfics about him. Horribly disappointed as well. I do believe I need to help with that… -pokes the quarter of a oneshot sitting in her word processor- Cookies and an exchange from the OOC farm for anyone who can direct me to a nice Axl fic!  
_

_Yet, of course, where would I be without the drive to actually write this tower of babble? (Excuse the pun) Much thanks goes to Necklace of Raindrops, along with Firehedgehog, Yuki's Little Girl and Ryoki-chan for the reviews. I've said it before, but reading them and being reminded that this itself it read is enough drive for me to keep typing. (Although, all 786 hits were quite nice as well, not **as** nice as reviews...but at least people are reading)  
_


	7. Courage

"_Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear."_

-Mark Twain

* * *

_As had been stated many times before, Netto was not known for his brilliant master plans. This was even truer when said brunette did not have his navi at arm's length to keep whatever harebrained schemes he cooked up in check. Had it also been mentioned that these less-than-well thought out plans had a tendency to put their creator in harm's way?_

_Of course, Netto was not musing on any of this as he lunged forward to throw his arms around Ares's waist. He was lucky, the man had been preoccupied with those onscreen and hadn't thought to look back, even occasionally, at the supposedly tied up children. In a split second, the brunette had curled his fingers around the hilt of his 'victim's' knife and had yanked, hard._

_With a slight rip of fabric, the knife was suddenly in Netto's hand, blade poised downwards and ready to strike. It took a lot of strength to keep his arms locked around Ares's waist, and even more to hold on for that split second of doubt towards the next part of his 'masterplan'. Nonetheless…did he really have any other choice?_

_And so –_making sure not to look, definitely not looking, he didn't want to look, didn't want to remember this-_ Netto stabbed downwards. Ares roared –_how could a human **do** that? It hadn't sounded right…it sounded like an animal-_ and swung his arm around, aiming to knock the brunette to the floor. Nonetheless, the arm was too short and Netto had had too much experience with fights. _–even if then he'd had the protection of a navi coating and the comforting advice of a friend-

_He raised the knife again, but was knocked off and to the ground with a rather powerful shove from one of the other men's elbow. Caught off guard, the teen skimmed along the hard surface then rolled once, twice, and then finally came to a stop as he hit the TV screen. That…hadn't been so bad. His nose didn't feel so good, _–broken, probably. It would certainly explain the warm liquid falling to his mouth-_ but otherwise…everything felt in one piece._

"_Papa, Meijin-san, Enzan, Laika…if you give these bastards that stuff I'm never forgive you" hah, now __**that**__ had sounded cool. Plus, it got the message across. Score for him! He could pride himself in now contributing to saving the lives of…a bunch of people he didn't know. Whatever the case, he didn't bother looking back at the screen, there were more important things to do than feel guilty about the looks that were doubtlessly crossing their faces._

_Namely, get out of the way._

_Scrambling on all fours, Netto barely managed to evade the two arms from above which sought to grab him. Ares was already being carted off to someplace or another and Mars was…__**also**__ trying to grab him, as demonstrated by the similarly muscled limbs heading his way. The net savor was lucky he was small, he supposed, otherwise they might have been able to grab him._

_Still scrambling, the brunette made a point of not looking to his right hand where the knife was still held tightly, as said hand seemed to have a mind of its own as it stabbed downward whenever an intruding shoe was close enough. Judging from the yelps, he was __**quite**__ screwed if they ever caught him._

"_Netto-kun! The left! Watch your left!" too little, too late. With that bit of irony digested, Netto yelped as a well placed foot knocked the wind out of him and sent the brunette sprawling across the unforgiving floor. Even as the stinging on his arms threatened to tear up his eyes, the middle schooler knew there was no point in worrying about the skin-deep scrapes now. It wouldn't accomplish anything, hadn't he already covered that?_

"_Netto-kun!"_

_Even as two strong hands bent his own arms behind his back, mashing his face into the floor, Netto tried in vain to scramble back to his hands and feet. Stopping would screw him over so much…so he continued his thrashing within the strong grip, mostly with his still-unrestrained feet. Finally someone must have gotten tired of it, because there was a sudden rush of pressure to his left leg, and then the sudden 'SNAP' of something or other cracking in two –_or was it more? He couldn't tell…it hurt dammit! Had he yelled out? Had he cried? He couldn't remember…-_ in a split-second, his left leg had gone limp, with his right one quick to follow._

"_Stop it!" had that been him? No, more high pitched, a little more frantic…he wasn't worried, was he? Since when had he been bothered by this? It wasn't an easy concept to grasp. He knew that he'd __**wanted**__ to say something along those lines…He wanted to…it hurt so much…and he…he… _

"_Pull him up" the knife was long gone from his grasp, Netto finally realized as someone grabbed his arms and jerked him upwards. He couldn't help it, and groaned weakly as they did so. That noise had been him for sure this time though. Couldn't have been anyone else…could it? The almost-whimper that quickly followed this was enough to verify that for the brunette._

_It hurt. It really did._

_He must have looked awful, Netto realized slowly. There was more than enough blood running from his nose, and he was moderately sure there were a few more scrapes up around his face by now. Being shoved to the ground tended to have that effect. The knife that seemed to be at his throat wasn't helping much either. There was an arm around his chest, and then another at his neck, which was the one holding the sharp and pointy object he supposed._

_What? Did they really expect him to try anything like this? He was honored that they'd moved their opinion of him that high, but still, he was only human…right? Yes, he was human…most of the time in any case. Humans generally couldn't escape from choke holds of other humans twice their size, so the knife really __**was**__ overkill… _

"_I'll never…forgive you if you…" the net savor trailed off. As Netto strove to crack open his eyes, he was determined to keep his face calm. He didn't look at Rock –_How was the navi taking this? How was he ever to explain himself?-_ He didn't look at his papa –_Because as a father, he didn't need to see this look, he didn't need his job to be any harder-_ He didn't even look at Enzan_ –Because Enzan refused to look at him. Instead, he looked about ready to bolt…or hurl. Aw, it was nice to know he cared-_ So instead, he kept his gaze trained on Laika. Because Laika, at the very least, respected that Netto had done what he could and now it was up to them. As a soldier, Laika understood that Netto had tried to make the mission –_The 'mission' being to get the hell out of there-_ a success. Laika understood that._

"_I'll never…"_

"_It is unfortunate that you had to see that" ah, it was Mars who was holding him. Yay. "This boy-" Netto grunted as he was jerked rather roughly for emphasis. "-Has been the least cooperative, as you can surely see" the man above him sighed._

"_It is rather unfortunate for us as well. In our culture, it is customary to give a gift if you have wronged a person. Our original gift for this business was to be to return these children in one piece" Mars paused to nod to someone off screen._

"_It seems we will need to supplement a different gift. Along with our list, we will return the navis to you, free of charge. Consider it our goodwill" Netto didn't consider it as goodwill. Not one bit. He wanted to yell at least that much out, but the knife at his throat __**was**__ rather constricting._

"_With that said, we await your arrival at the meeting grounds. The navis and list will be along in a moment. Good day" and with that, it was over. If one ignored the blatant abuse, they could have __**almost**__ assumed that it had been nothing more than a social call. The screen blinked off with an audible 'click', and then it was silent. Unwilling to look up at Mars –_and **definitely** averse to looking at the rest of the kids- _Netto finally settled his gaze on someone who had every right to be mad at him. Sort of._

_Rockman was still gripping the bars, just as he had been when the brunette had last seen him. Although, he was a little more slumped now, and his clutch appeared to be tighter than before. –_how was one to measure the strength of a grip from just a glance? Even he didn't know…but still…- _ Rock had every right in the world to be angry with Netto, Netto was the cause of this split. Netto's actions would be the cause of undue worry for the navi as long as they were apart. Knowing that his operator was here and actually __**being**__ here to keep an eye on him were two different matters entirely._

_So the operator did the best he could to compensate. Because despite the blood running down his lip, despite how his left leg refused to move, despite the scrapes and scratches across his skin, Netto could still smile. Vaguely, he realized that that was the best thing he could do anyway._

'_I'll be fine' he mouthed._

_And with that, the cube closed back around the navis, and Rockman was gone without being able to put in a word to the contrary. It would have been more fitting if he cried, the brunette grasped dimly. But really, crying, in a place like this? Showing Mars that he'd had enough? That would be the day. Besides, when was the last time he had cried? Rockman was going home. He should have been happier. He should have been cheering or something like that. But all he could manage was an uneasy cold within the pits of his stomach._

"_I think your leg should be punishment enough" Mars finally muttered. "Any more and we might not have anything left to give to your family" the tone was amused all the same. The brunette wanted to growl –_yell, scream, **something** in any case, he just wanted to make some noise-_ but the best he could matter was a 'hmph'. With no regard for his leg, Netto suddenly found himself plopped into his former chair. Even as Mars left, another man had already commenced retying his already-bound arms to the chair_ –with tighter knots this time, he noticed-_ along with __**both**__ his legs. Yeah. That smarted. The room was cleared, the equipment moved out, and the lights dimmed. Once again, it was just the children. With expertise that could come only from hanging out too much with Enzan, the brunette was quick to ignore the accusatory glares directed his way. Now why weren't __**they**__ happy that their navis were free?_

_And so, with nothing else to do, Netto fell to a restless slumber. _

* * *

"And you, Enzan-kun?"

"I regret to report no progress. Hikari Netto refuses to acknowledge those in his vicinity, myself, his father and his navi included" Kifune nodded grimly as Manabe merely kept her mouth settled into a tight line.

"That's unfortunate"

"Laika wishes to know if there have been any updates on the status of Hikari's kidnappers" it was true, the soldier _did_ want to know. However, as he was still refusing to speak to Enzan, it had fallen to Searchman to deliver the message to Rockman, who had told it to Blues, who had finally given it to Enzan. As much as the dual-haired boy would have liked to hold his grudge, doing so would only harm Netto, and so such petty differences would have to be kept until later. It was never a good policy to mix business with personal matters anyway.

"That is acceptable and understandable. Manabe-kun, if you would?" the woman nodded and Enzan's attention was quick to switch focus.

"As of today, we have rounded up and interrogated all but two members of the Cariocecus militia. We have only discovered the existence of these last two members from what we pulled from the interrogations. The motives of the group as a whole have remained clear, however, the agenda of the two escapees is a mystery at this point" this was all information Enzan knew. Vaguely, he wondered if Manabe was reciting this much just as a way to work off stress, he'd seen this tactic used before.

"We have finally narrowed these motives down to two possibilities. Either they have returned to their home country with their tails in-between their legs, or they're after Netto-kun. Our intelligence has not been able to locate them at this point, although-" a small hologram displaying the beach zone of Akihara popped up next to the woman.

"We have gathered evidence that _if_ they have remained, they are in this area, most likely in the sewer system, as it would provide easy access to the ocean, a possible escape route. It also, unfortunately-"

"Is where the hospital is" a sigh from the dual-haired boy "Of course. And I suppose there is little evidence that they've returned?"

"As the two would have doubtlessly taken illegal means of transportation, it is hard to track them" Manabe's mouth fell even more. "But of course, we too are leaning towards the sewers" something that could have turned into a smile given some proper rest and stress relief finally made its way to the supervisor's features. "But, it never hurt to be optimistic"

"Of course" Enzan finally conceded.

* * *

_He wouldn't have made a good police officer, Blues realized offhandedly. Yes, he had the necessary skills in battle, but the social aspect of it? That was another story entirely. Panicking civilians and how to deal with them had never been his forte._

"_But Sayuri-chan is-!"_

"_There is no point. Please continue on to the link. Now"_

"_But-"_

"_GO!" somehow, his sword had appeared, the red navi realized. Hmm…odd. Nothing to loose a rest-cycle over, but still; who would have known that civilian navis were so stubborn? Or irrational. They all seemed irrational to him. The problem lied not with him _–of course-_ but those civilian navis…so absurd. One had even had the gall to tell him that _–and he could quote-_ he needed to take a "chill pill"._

…_Crazy idea really._

"_Nice work" at the look the crimson navi shot him _–it seemed they'd all become accustomed to reading body language and calling it a look when it came to Blues- _Searchman decided __**not**__ to follow up on his joke, however monumental such an event was._

"_There's still one navi left within the transport unit. Want to help?" Of course, they both knew which navi this one happened to be. After all, they'd been on the watch for him during the whole 'migration'. They'd both figured they'd either be the first out or the last to go._

"_Lets get it over with then. He's not armed, is he?" at Searchman's inquisitive glance, the crimson navi was quick to explain "He can get quite worked up about this…remember Cache?" a nod, accompanied by understanding. Who could forget? After all, who else would fire blindly into an unknown area, all in the name of demanding to know the fate of his operator?_

_Rockman always had been a rather large worry-wart._

_Docked within the Sci-labs information ports, the navi cage was now motionless. As previously mentioned, it was empty as well, save for a single navi within. Having lost the bars to keep a grip on, the navy program had now settled for wedging himself in the corner. It wasn't the most determined looking posture in the world, but Rockman could settle with looking meek; For now at least._

"_Rockman"_

"_Blues" the blue one looked upwards only to nod again "Searchman" Rock then proceeded to rest his chin on his crossed arms, staring dully up to the two officials. "I suppose I have to leave?" Unsure of the odd _–not that it wasn't a good thing…but the words Netto, hurt, Rockman and calm were not **known** to go in the same sentence…- _behavior, the red and green navis settled for nodding._

"_Oh" Searchman almost cringed at the sigh that followed. "I don't suppose I could stay?" the discipline would be up to Blues, it seemed, as the crimson navi folded his arms in his best 'I will scrape you off the floor with a pickax if I have to' look…body language…whatever it was called._

"_No. You're needed for minor witness questioning, followed by some personal questions from Hikari-hakase, and then finished by your briefing on our rescue attempt. You'll be allowed a recharge after that" Blues liked to imagine that Rockman's eyes had sparked momentarily around the 'rescue attempt' part of the plan. He couldn't be sure, as the smaller navi looked away just as quickly, and the larger really wasn't one to do any 'hoping' in the first place…but still. Doubtless this would be a lot easier with one more official navi willing to work. The net savors couldn't afford to have Rockman out of commission because his AI had deemed him too depressed to do anything useful._

"_I was hoping I could stay here" was the navy one's quiet protest. "I figure…eventually they might need to call this thing back and if, no, __**when**__ they do, I'll be right in here, ready and waiting" There was a small chuckle from behind the barrier of Rockman's arms. "Netto-kun will get in so much trouble…He's going to need __**someone**__ to talk to…" not exactly thrilled with the response, Blues finally nodded to Searchman and the two advanced._

_The small navi didn't bother paying the two taller ones any attention as they closed the distance, instead, he merely sighed and focused on burying whatever sappy empathy it was that had taken over his AI. Perhaps 'sappy' was a little too harsh, but Netto would have called it that without a second thought. With that in mind, the least he could do, Rock supposed, was keep his chin up; especially if there __**was**__ a rescue attempt in the works after all. How bad could this possibly be now? It could only get better...right?  
_

_As Blues and Searchman carted him off with an arm each slung around their neck, Rockman nonetheless decided that it would be very relieving to use Mars and Ares for buster practice._

* * *

_Meh, I'm currently writing this on a Boeing 767. Yay. As Lightningstar-Icy knows, my plane flight from Amsterdam to Newark originally got diverted to Ireland for…get this…broken toilets. The __**best**__ part is…we ended up waiting about 26 hours for them to fix this and (you guessed it) when we finally __**did**__ take off, the toilets __**still**__ didn't work._

_So I feel really bad for the guys a few rows up who have paper towels around their feet because there's a leak and stuff's coming out. It smells awful :P All beige and chunky and stuff. Awful. Really awful. I feel even worse for the stewardess who had to try and clean it up._

_**Edit from after the flight**__: and when we had to get off the plane, guess what? Yup, we dragged our stuff and walked THROUGH the crap. Lovely. My sneakers still smell like…well, use your imagination._

_ANYways…cheers for us being on summer break!_

_And of course, much thanks goes out to Necklace of Raindrops, along with Firehedgehog, lightningstar-Icy_ _Atreyu the Slayer, Yuki's Little Girl and Ryoki-chan! Woah…most reviews fer a chappie…Aw, I love you guys, I can't stop smiling now :P pretty bad, eh? Anyways, thanks as well to those who read, which includes the 950 hits I have. 1000 or bust people!_


	8. Waiting

"_You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club" (in reference to how hard it was to get this chapter to be worth-reading)_

-Jack London

* * *

_This…could get messy._

"_First, I just want you to know that he tried…no, he's __**trying,**__ Papa. He did…what he thought was best. Nothing more…nothing less either" the program paused to wring his hands within the screen, no happier with his answers than Yuuichiro would be. But still, what else was he going to say?_

"_I see" a grim smile graced the features of the older programmer. "And there's nothing that could have been done about that" a pause to muse over something, "Or can. Nothing that can be done about that" his grin morphed from a morbid one to that of encouragement, spurring the navi to nod in agreement._

"_Can. Netto-kun's still trying" a good-natured shake of the head even as Yuuichiro's grin spread to Rockman. "What else __**would**__ he do?" Surprisingly enough, when he wanted to cheer someone up, Hikari-hakase was far blunter than his son. Netto preferred to hide whatever good will he possessed between a constant smile and a simple brush off, usually around the lines of 'what are you saying?'. And then there was Papa, who would force a grin down your throat until you choked with happiness. Perhaps it was the parent-status kicking in; after all, he had no need to defend himself from sounding sappy, he was a father, was it not in his job description? Whatever the case, the blue navi appreciated the effort, he really did._

_But what he wouldn't have done to be with Netto instead._

_However, Yuuichiro either missed or chose to ignore this fact, as he pressed onward with all the hurry that was granted a stressed and rather worried parent. "So when you left, Netto was…?" Straight to the point as well; vaguely, the navi wondered whether this retelling would be making its way to Mama or not._

"_He still had the ga…__**cut**__, on his shoulder from the first time we met those…those…people. But it had been healing, before they separated it was all scabbed over. And the rest…" he paused, unsure of where to begin. Finally, "You saw the rest" he finished weakly. After all, it was harder than it sounded to describe this all._

"_It was very low quality video, most likely so we couldn't recognize the surroundings" a sigh. "All we could see were some smudges of red on his face, we weren't sure if he was just warm or if they peeled his whole face off!" Rock hadn't seen the older brunette this worked up since…never. "I know it's difficult, but-"_

"_I really couldn't see a lot either, they were holding him away from me until the last minute, and then I really wasn't paying all that much attention" breathe in, breathe out; he didn't need to by any means, but living among humans had given him some rather odd habits. Not that he ever wanted to give them up. It was nice…_

"_But I know that they broke his leg. And his ribs are either fractured or heavily bruised from both the first time and this time…He's just not looking so good" and that was enough for now. Yuuichiro was a father, yes. And he was worried, most definitely. But…that still didn't mean that he needed all the details._

_After all, what good would it do to hear that they were threatening to cut off limbs?_

"_I…" the elder Hikari stopped there, lacing his fingers together in thought as to what he was __**supposed**__ to say to such a situation. This wasn't something they had prepared him for in school after all. "I'm…glad at least you made it back, Rockman" for a moment, it was very tempting to shout out that __**he**__, in fact, did __**not**__ appreciate this one bit, and that at this moment wanted to be with Netto. Yes…he could take care of himself, he was a grown boy. But to sit by and be forced to wait while his __**friend**__, partner and operator was alone, was something he wasn't too eager to accept._

_He kept it in check though, mostly for Yuuichiro's sake. Although, unable to hide his adverse opinion on the matter, Rockman finally settled for crossing his arms over his chest and thinning his mouth into a barely visible line. He didn't trust himself to speak._

"_And, how's he taking it?" it seems the mal intentions were short lived, as the line on Rockman's mouth cracked itself back into a smile. A rather grim smile, but a smile nonetheless. "It's not getting to him, is it?"_

"_No, of course not. It's __**Netto**__-kun, papa. I believe that the only one it's getting to are the kidnappers. He's still smiling; he was still smiling when I left, so I know that he's fine" and that would be the end of the pure fact. Now it was time for a little quality Rockman-esque manipulation to get Yuuichiro back on track. After all, those children –_no matter how close he'd been to thinking in the singular, it'd be selfish to just say Netto_- weren't going to save themselves; or rather, they couldn't._

_Still, he was going to feel rather guilty about this for a long time._

"_He's believing in you, Papa. He's trying, but sooner or later he's going to need us. We can't leave him there" the blue navi was expecting something along the lines of an 'I know' or perhaps a 'Right, lets get back to work then' Either way, Yuuichiro was bound to start working again; Although, Rockman never __**did**__ get to hear the response._

"_Hikari-hakase! We've found them!" and so, the rescue attempt began._

* * *

He was not a very old man, although he could no longer be considered a young man. Mentally, he was a veteran of war, a regular of hardship and one whose childhood had consisted of learning how to kill. Yet, physically he was 20…give or take a few years. Where he came from, it was rather hard to keep track of things as trivial as birthdays. Then again, where he came from, many people –_good people, he convinced himself-_ were dying each day. Far more people, far _better_ people, than those who had been murdered by his orders; they had been such a small sacrifice in comparison. It didn't matter that they had been labeled 'innocent'. The people, the _good_ people, had also been innocent.

It was an equal exchange.

Which was why he was angry now; His exchange was not complete. He had played the game of chance, and he had come up short. Only by one person…but for a man with nothing but honor –_and even__** that**__ was in the eye of the beholder…-_ left, one person could mean the world and so much more. The very least he could do for his failure to help his innocent people was strike back at one who had doomed them. He was a dead man, and he had no qualms about this. To return with failure would be death. To be caught by those of this country would be death. To sit and live out the rest of his life with the deaths of his innocents on his hands would not be _physical_ death, but it would be no better, worse perhaps.

"It's set. We have fifteen minutes, probably less" he nodded. This was good. It seemed that the only superior factor of this place was that there was no shortage of unquestioning grunts looking for a way to scrape by. Well, there were in his home, but he knew them all. Here, he was truly anonymous.

"I'm ready" he stood, wiping the grime and muck from the tatters of his clothes. Honestly, he preferred this place to his own home. It was far too dry and hot where he came from, here, at least, it was cool. Vaguely, he wondered if his afterlife would be such a pleasant cool or not.

"Lets take our revenge"

* * *

_Hungry._

_Thirsty._

_He needed to pee._

_Dimly, Netto wondered how he had anything left to excrete. His stomach hadn't received a thing in…who knew how long. His throat was doing just as badly. __**How**__ could his bladder be complaining at a time like this? Bad bladder! Bad!_

_Hmm, the ceiling looked rather funny. All the gray was swirly, very swirly. Around and around and…ohhh, he was dizzy now. Too much ceiling. Stupid ceiling. Why hadn't it warned him that it was dangerous to look at? Aw…he really felt like puking…_

_Or was that the ribs kicking in?_

_His head really wasn't helping either…everything was so fuzzy…in and out, in and out. It kept on going back and forth, baaaaaack and forth. He could've sworn that it'd been shaking a moment ago…_

_Ah, hello. What was this?_

_The brunette began to frown, though his face ended up too loose and the frown turned into nothing more than an open mouth. Heedless of the attempt, the face…person…something, in front of him continued to do…something or other. He really couldn't tell. It was so hard…and it was rather blurry. Had he mentioned how hungry he was? Because his stomach was really going on and on and on and…Oh! And his throat! Now that was a killer…_

_So, Netto didn't really pay it any attention as he was hoisted away.  
_

* * *

_I told you that this was filler :P MAJOR filler. __**But**__, I needed it to bridge a slight gap. Just a slight one; hence why this is filled with pointlessness and other short things that I somehow managed to fit in, only to make the second shortest chapter of this whole thing :P Anyway, I'll work on having chapter 9 up by Monday at the latest._

_So many reviews again though! Thanks so much, I appreciate it X3 And so, these thanks specifically go out to Necklace of Raindrops, Lightningstar-Icy, Random-Irony, Firehedgehog, Yuki's Little Girl, Ryoki-chan and Atreyu the Slayer!_


	9. The Good Left Undone

"_Every man is guilty of all the good he didn't do"_

-Voltaire

* * *

_He wasn't nervous._

_He knew for sure that his AI was to blame for this fact. Unlike humans, telling himself that he, in fact, was __**not**__ worried was an actual and genuine cure for anxiety. It was all a matter of overriding the locks placed on his reaction center and switching them around a bit. He tried not to do it often –_as Netto appreciated it so much more when there was someone else with butterflies in their stomach when facing down a large and usually evil looking opponent_- but sometimes, like now, he just couldn't help it._

_Then again, if he'd been nervous, at least there would have been something else to concentrate on. Namely, focusing on nervous actions, like picking at his armor, stretching awkwardly, fidgeting constantly, blinking rapidly, or perhaps even…whistling. He chose to ignore the fact that Enzan or Laika would most likely __**not**__ appreciate any of the above._

_Huh, that was right…Enzan and Laika. He'd switched thought tracks without even knowing, amazing really. He was sure that Netto would've forgotten, but that would be the extent of the human memory it seemed. Whatever the case, Searchman or Blues would have been far more vocal _–physical, actually, as he recalled a bump or two that had refused to remove itself from his noggin-_ because of the simple fact that they too had more than likely overridden their proper 'human' reaction files and would be far less tolerant of nervous habits, especially ones that proved to be annoying. Vaguely, he wondered whether or not the two __**ever**__ left their files as they were meant to be._

_Lacking in anything further to muse and anything better to do, he proceeded to tug half-heartedly at his gloves. It was odd, in the net, his touch was limited to outside his gloves…to put it more simply, essentially, his skin __**was**__ his gloves. And yet, here in the copyroid body, he could feel them from the inside…it was odd. –_And honestly, he was afraid to take them off. Would there just be blue skin underneath? Or was the rest of him actually a color as pale as his face?-

_He wondered if he was being disrespectful by being calm._

"_Point 1 reached. B team disembark" he didn't need to look up to know that the rustling from next to him had signaled Laika's exit. He'd been over this too many times to count after all. He'd gone so far as to draw a picture of it…just to reassure himself._

'_B' team, headed by Laika on-scene and Manabe off was to surround the warehouse with most of the forces available. They were to draw out as many as they could through various means, and subdue them. A dimensional area would be put in place to cut off possible exit routes, along with enable use of the battle chip gate. 'C' team was unimportant at best. They reported to Kifune and were made up of a small squad circling the premises, making sure that no one would escape the ring of B. 'A' team, headed by Enzan on-scene and Meijin off, was comprised solely of copyroid navis like himself, save for a cross-fused Enzan. They would infiltrate via battlechips and secure the hostages. And…if worse came to worse, they were all essentially expendable. It was simple, in theory of course._

"_Attention, dimensional area is now in place. Repeat: Dimensional area is now in place. Battlechip gates are now operational" amusingly enough, whoever was making the announcements was more nervous than he was. Or at least, they were anxious; excited maybe._

"_That's our signal" Enzan hadn't wasted any time it seemed. R-Blues now stood before him, although, it seemed that Blues's changes to his AI had not affected his operator in the least. Oh, the teen was nervous; it was just far harder to tell. "Ready?"_

_And with a nod, Rockman convinced himself that indeed, he __**was**_

* * *

"_Come on brat" arms and legs tied like a freshly caught animal, Netto still refused to 'come on'. Especially for those who had tied him up in the first place. Behind him, whispers of 'hurry up' and 'just go!' seemed to be dominant. Although, he couldn't __**really**__ blame them for being compliant, could he? They just wanted to get home to their families._

_He did too._

"_Why should I?" his voice cracked towards the end _–thirsty? Him? Perish the thought-_ which was none too promising if he did say so himself. Hah, but give up now? Right. And Enzan was going to dye his hair pink. And put it in little pigtails; couldn't forget the pigtails._

"_I'm sick of you!" Ares, freshly bandaged and stitched together, was literally seething at this point; the brunette could just about see the steam pouring from his ears. "Mars!" he roared. "This kid's going to loose his arm if you don't get over here and deal with him!" The addressed rather tiredly glanced up from his work with another line of rope only to give his partner a stare of disbelief._

"_Do you honestly believe that it still matters what you do?" in the silence that followed, a few things finally clicked into place. The rough breaking of waves suddenly could be heard within the surroundings. Mars had a weight attached to one end of his rope. This wasn't the exchange point. Netto's eyes widened just as Ares's grin did the same._

"_You…You're…" the brunette glanced backwards to the children behind him, each of whom were trying to make themselves smaller in hopes of being ignored for the moment. That wasn't going to work anymore –_it never really **had** worked, but that was besides the point-_ He had to say it, because they had to know _–and they'd accept it dammit! If it was the last thing he did, he'd stuff it down their little suck-up throats and make them open their blind eyes to the truth that all was not right in optimist land-

…_none of them were going home anymore._

"_THEY'RE GOING TO KILL US!" had that gotten their attention? It should have, but… "They're going throw us into the ocean so they don't have to deal with us!" the brunette continued "They're not giving us back!" If Mars cared about the potential uprising, he didn't show it. Ares, on the other hand, was grasping for his knife. "Unless we do something-"_

"_Just shut up" the tip had already sank into Netto's throat, and although it wasn't enough to do any serious damage, it was sufficient to bring the brunette's words to a halt, for a moment at least. But Netto was still Netto, and a moment was only that, just a moment._

"_If we-" it dug deeper even as brown eyes searched the crowd for any form of support. This was their last chance, even if no one else realized it…this was the last shot they had. All of a sudden, survival was no longer a certainty. –_Somewhere, he'd known it never **had** been. Somewhere, he'd known that it was far more likely that he'd die. And somewhere, he'd shuddered involuntarily and locked those other somewheres away-_ …but none of them seemed to realize that. None of them chose to __**acknowledge**__ that. They didn't want to die. They didn't want to __**think**__ about dying. To the point that they had automatically roped off that area of the brain, they didn't want to consider the possibility. To them, dying was a far off event, intangible and mysterious as the time needed to get to such a place._

_Netto found it funny that he wasn't including himself in that grouping._

_And so his pleas to his peers ceased. As the stares continued to bore holes in the floor, Netto's voice slowly ground to a halt. "You're not going to get away with this" he finally growled. He wasn't giving up! He wouldn't! He refused to! It was just…just…he…was trying a different tactic. He didn't want to die here. -_But he was going to. He was sure now. No, he wouldn't! But oh, he would…-_ But more importantly, he didn't want the other kids to die…he didn't want __**any**__one to die; the people in the whatever war included._

"_We don't plan to" Mars stood up, tugging at a rope as he did so. "We're going to die along with you; now that we have failed, there is no point to continue on. We have dishonored our comrades" Monotone, the taller of the two stated this as a fact. The words themselves did not scare Netto in the least –_It was a death…but still…-_ But instead, how accepting Mars was of this. He believed this to be right. He believed this to be true in the same way that Netto believed this whole thing to be wrong. And __**that**__, was the scary part._

_Whatever the case, it seemed that Ares hadn't been in on this memo, as the shorter man abruptly turned. "What about those other ones?! I thought we were going to-!"_

"_Too risky. They may yet recover a few of the children if given the chance. We fall with these" the taller gestured to the hostages covered by the thin canvas attached to the truck. "They will suffice" Now would have been a good time to drive home the point that they were going to die, Netto realized as he looked between the two. He turned to face the others again, but even as he opened his mouth to speak, the accusatory glares of the other children froze his mouth._

'_You caused this. You deal with it'_

…_He liked to imagine that that had just been the dehydration kicking in._

"_I'm not killing myself without the bastards who ruined this!"_

"_They would not show their faces here. They are not soldiers. They are officials. They give orders from the safety of a bomb-proof shelter. You know this" if Mars had been anyone else, he probably would have rolled his eyes. Although, it __**was**__ elementary information, why Ares was disputing it now was anyone's guess._

"_They'll come" Ares snarled. "I know they will! And I want to see the looks on their faces when I kill these brats, and then kill the idiots themselves!" Mars raised an eyebrow, although it was quickly becoming obvious that he was used to such behavior._

"_You will suffer the consequences if we fail…" out of the blue, he nodded towards Netto "Grab the brat" said 'brat' grunted as he was jerked upwards, and wished for nothing more than to have his broken leg back in one piece. It'd had a perfect shot at a rather sensitive area and…_

_Wordlessly, Mars then climbed into the cab of the truck, wrenched it into gear, and drove backwards. It was around that time that Netto finally realized how close to the water the vehicle had been. The canvas had been blocking the view before, but now that the teen was out on the side…well, just the few meters backwards and the rear axels had already slipped over the side of the pier. Any more and the whole truck would go straight…_

…

_The brunette's insides suddenly ran cold._

"_DON'T!" this, of course, was drowned out by the splash as Mars released the trailer to let it tumble into the murky water below. Or had it been the screams which had blocked him out…? Maybe even the chuckle that had emerged from Ares? A very close contest…and he just couldn't tell. And, now this was completely off topic, but why, all of a sudden, did everything seem so…?_

"_I won't take unnecessary risks. This one is enough, he seems to draw the most attention in any case" with a 'hn', Ares gave his begrudging assent and roughly chucked the brunette to the pavement. Face pressed to the ground, Netto didn't bother rolling over. He couldn't quite figure out __**why**__ his body refused to do so, but what he did know was that it probably had something do to with the liquid running from his eyes and a certain aversion to letting other people see it._

_This wasn't happening.  
_

* * *

_It didn't take a lot of skill to break into a warehouse; especially when said warehouse seemed to be lacking in even basic security measures. Although, what good a security camera would have done for the kidnappers once 'A' had entered via mole battlechips was anyone's guess._

"_Do we have a confirmation on the wireless yet?" for the moment, they were in the dark. Taking out the blocking panels was a high priority because of this. After all, Meijin couldn't do much more than sit around and press a button if there was no one to talk to._

"_Confirmed" came the programmer's voice into his ear. "I'm surprised it's going this well," the brunette was quick to add. "Doesn't something usually go wrong by now…?" Not exactly what Enzna wanted to hear at the moment. This business was stressful enough as it was. Not that he was anywhere close to admitting it of course._

"_Don't jinx it Meijin"_

"_Just giving my opinion" he conceded. "Now, with the blocking gone, we've got a much better map of the place thanks to some backwards wiring" there was a pause, broken only by the quick taps of a keyboard. Finally, Enzan knew he had to bite._

"_And…?"_

"_Next door on your left, scans confirm it's the only possible place they __**could**__ be" biting back a curse at the short notice, the teen abruptly halted, nearly bringing the entire penetration force on top of him. Ignoring the urge to sigh, a quick hand motion was made, informing all present to reach their places._

"_Net Police! Arms up!" with a lunge the door was down and a shotgun battlechip was humming readily on his arm. Rockman too had his buster pointed outwards, along with two other navis covering his side. Supposedly, this should have caused an uproar, preferably filled with the happy shouts of just-rescued children. Of course, as Meijin had pointed out, things never ran that smoothly. Something was always, __**always,**__ to go wrong._

"_Where are they? They're not…!" As the navi broke off, Enzan refrained from banging a fist against the wall, knowing that it would do no good to let his frustration be seen or even realized. Nonetheless, Rockman had been speaking _–grasping really…since the navi still hadn't quite formed the proper words to go about it…-_ the truth. The room was indeed vacant. He'd been so sure…! Netto had seemed so close…__**all**__ of the hostages had been right there, within his grasp it'd seemed…and now this._

"_No…this can't…" for a moment more, Rockman continued to stare in disbelief. But, it was only a moment, and when that was up, light slowly began to gather at the tip of his summoned buster. Recognizing the signature glow, those around him rather quickly cleared the area._

"_Dammit!" the discharge of the Rockbuster and the groan of the building as plasma ripped through it easily masked the yell. Nonetheless… "__**Dammit**__!" For another instant, silence hung awkwardly over the room as the navi sunk to his knees. "Netto-kun…" the program beat his fist futilely on the ground, somehow apathetic to the damage it caused even as his knuckles came back sparking._

"_Sir!" grateful for the distraction, Enzan was quick to face the saluting navi, and with a nod, permission to speak was granted. "C team has spotted a large unmarked truck outside of the dimensional area, heading in sea-bound direction" Blue eyes narrowed as the dual haired teen cast a glance to the empty chairs surrounding them._

"_How large?" Enzan spared a glance at the navy one on the ground as the communications navi radioed in with C team. If it was necessary, it __**would**__ be possible to exit the dimensional area with Rockman, and yet do so without breaking the whole dome. It just wouldn't be pleasant._

"_2 axels are confirmed, vehicle is unarmed. Also, heat scans are indicating a large mass, no…mass__**es**__ of heat in the trailer portion. The cab seems to possess only two bodies, assuming a driver and a passenger" of course it had ended up this way. __**Someone**__, it seemed, had tipped off the kidnappers. And…according to true kidnapper fashion, they were looking to dispose of the bodies in the easiest way possible._

_**Hostages**__, not bodies, Blues was uncharacteristically quick to correct him with._

"_All current copyroids are to assist B team and drive out the remaining hostile parties! Rockman, we're tailing that truck" Enzan didn't bother to explain, there was no time. "Have Meijin send you a Dash Condor, we need to catch up"_

"_Dash…condor?"_

"_Just do it!" there was no time to feel guilty about yelling at the rather lost navi –_there was no time for pit of any kind really, Rockman of all people should have understood that much-_ "Panel Out!" it felt good to make a hole in something though, even if it __**was**__ an innocent ceiling…it was still some form of stress management the dual haired teen supposed. "Sonic Boom!" ah, and another hole there, how utterly convenient, almost as if it was __**made**__ for him. Out the side of the warehouse he went then…_

_Still apprehensive, Rockman took the quick moment to compose himself as he re-tuned the communication line "Meijin-san?"_

"_No need f-"_

"_They weren't there. I need a Dash Condor" the abrupt statement quickly ended the programmer's usual retort. There was a pause, presumably as Meijin focused on selecting the proper battle chip, followed by a slight 'ping' as Rock's systems registered it._

"_I see… report back later then"_

"_Got it" he cut the line before any words of condolence could be offered. For the moment, he needed to focus on what it was that Enzan had found so important. Perhaps he should have been paying more attention? Surely, at least his knuckles would've appreciated a break quick enough to at least hear what had been going on._

"_Dash Condor!" the green virus was quick to form underneath him, and even quicker to catch up to Enzan. Said teen didn't bother with words, as he merely chose to take the offered hand and hop on behind Rock._

"_Keep going straight, we're breaking through the dimensional area" and then, as an afterthought perhaps, "and I apologize beforehand if I land on you"  
_

* * *

_Netto was not the type of person to give up. He was, however, the type of person who could be considered thickheaded when they wanted to be. There __**was**__ that nasty habit of denial that he had as well…although, most of the time, denial could just be passed off as pure determination, he was given the all clear by default and nobody was the wiser_. –Of course, he denied that **this** even took place, and had just decided that he was just dense when it came to the finer points and that there was nothing more to it- _And so, he couldn't have been more happy to see Enzan in his life._

_There wouldn't be blood on his hands._

_There was still time. Of course, it'd felt like forever since that first splash. It'd felt like forever since the bubbles had surfaced. But there was still time; there __**had**__ to be. Kids didn't die from things like this. Kids always ended up safe and happy at home. Things had always worked out before, why would now be any different? He and Enzan had saved lives –_it was easier to leave it like that, thinking about things in scale of the whole world still made his face heat up-_ from Regal. Why couldn't they do it again? (_Time was precious. He was…**they** **were** lucky to still have some

_But how to get the message across? Doubtless, Ares and Mars had already spotted him, there was no cover save for a stack of crates to Netto's immediate left, so the other teen was really just running in a straight line, he had no choice. How was he to get Enzan's attention successfully diverted from himself to those in the water? Or was he just being selfish, and the other net savor had been planning to go after the other kids the whole time?_

_Although, a voice whispered in the back of his head, it was doubtful that Enzan would do anything as stupid as run straight towards the enemy __**unless**__ Netto was involved._

"_I told you so" the pride was literally dripping off of Ares's tone. Somebody was pleased… _-Netto tried not to think that his captor was only so happy because of the blood that could now be shed- _…__**quite**__ pleased_. The clock was still ticking

"_There's __**one**__ of them. And he's no older than this one. Happy?" The shorter just growled at the jab to his joy. The guttural noise translated to something along the lines of, 'at least it's something'; which was really none too comforting a thought. (_What was the average time a human could hold their breath? How much longer was it till they drowned?

"_ENZAN, THEY'RE IN THE WATER! THE REST OF THEM ARE IN THE WATER!" his voice was cracking, he sounded pathetic, and somehow, he didn't care. But would Enzan understand? He'd better. From the looks he was getting, Netto doubted he'd be in the proper state to rephrase that. (_It would take only a split second for the thought to process itself. But then, how long would it take the other teen to get them all out once the thought was through?

"_I don't think that it's going to work" despite his quick jab of dialogue, Mars was barely able to restrain Ares from wrangling the brunette's neck. "Call it a hunch" He was grinning, which probably wasn't a very good sign at all. (_Tick, Tock. Tick, Tock. Tick, Tock. Breathing was to be as rhythmic as a clock, under normal circumstances at least

"_YOU'VE GOT TO GET THEM OUT! THEY'VE BEEN UNDER TOO LONG! ENZAN, YOU'VE GOT TO SAVE THEM!" ah, it seemed that he'd heard him. Finally. From where he was held to Mar's chest, Netto could just about make out Enzan's eyes as they widened and the teen himself faltered, then pulled to a complete halt. Just another push and Enzan would be in the water. Just another push and the lives would be off Netto's hands. "ENZAN! GO! I'M FINE!"_

"_I'LL KILL THIS BOY IF YOU DO!" Mars's voice boomed over the brunette's own, freezing the prodigy in his tracks once more. The taller of the two captors grunted with what might have been mirth, only to suddenly swing Netto around to face the crates._

"_That goes for whoever is behind there as well. Show yourself or the same consequences will apply" Behind the boxes…? But he hadn't heard anyone, especially with the ocean and all the shouting going on…so why would Mars think…? (_Time was no longer lulling by. It was falling, rushing, dashing, so very little left to actually **go** by…

_Wordlessly, Rockman stepped out, buster pointed forwards and green eyes looking far too ready to let the weapon fire for something far more fatal than normal virus busting. Not that it was very noticeable, but Ares quickly found himself stepping into line behind Mars, therefore also using Netto as a shield. The navi too noticed this, and while his buster remained ready, he suddenly became far less eager to discharge it._

"_Good choice" the taller man grunted. "Now put down the weapon" it was here that the blue one began to falter, glancing quickly between the tall man and a head-shaking –_as in, NO, don't you dare or I'll never forgive you, kind of shaking-_ brunette, as if either one was to offer a compromise._

"_How did you know I was there?" so, he would stall. Stalling was good…wasn't it? It actually depended who you asked. (_They had to hurry hurry now…there were fingers always reaching upwards, the cold blue digits were going to come for him and…

"_An educated guess; he was a decoy in plain sight. I am a veteran to such tactics. A bluff. Put the weapon down"_

"_They're in the water" brown eyes dared green ones to do as Mars commanded. "You need to get them out" Netto wanted to think that it was his last request, Rockman wanted to think of it as a tentative option. But despite any wishing, it was still a command._

"_Down or he dies"_

"_They're going to kill me anyway!" since __**when**__ had his death become something so free to discuss? Around the time that it had become certainty? Perhaps. Would that explain this odd calm? Would it explain why he hadn't been reduced to a hopeless pile of bones? Maybe. "Rockman, get them out!" his voice wavered just as his navi's stare did the same. "Mou, Enzan!" the brunette struggled to meet the other teen's gaze, as Rockman refused to meet his eyes for the moment._

"_Save them!" it was still only one shrill voice, already cracked and only ready to splinter and snap further until there was nothing left but a dry wind left to repeat the same fruitless words over and over. (_…they were going to drag him down with them unless he dragged them up. They were going to pull him down with those cold fingers and never let him go even as death too hooked him with its cold limbs and held him tight…

"_Don't" another voice, this one calm and ready._

"_Rockman! Enzan! GO!" the pitch was rising with each appeal, only to falter at the seams and split each and every time. Back and forth, from green eyes to blue and back again, still nothing. He looked for resignation, he looked for understanding, he looked for __**something**__; Anything which would indicate them moving their legs –_running, preferably-_ towards the water, in the water, and to the others._

"_They're going to kill me no matter what you do…" did that count as a plea? Perhaps. "So save them!" Rockman gripped his buster with white knuckles, still holding it aloft somehow. At least it was up, Netto supposed._

"_Yes, go on. Choose between this brat and all the others" Mars probably wasn't making this any easier. But still, couldn't they hear him? "You're an official, aren't you?" from Enzan to Rockman, "And somehow, you're his navigator, aren't you? You must be…" he snorted, then nodded to Ares._

"_It's not a choice! They're going to-" he felt vaguely like a broken record. "…They're going to kill you if you don't move!" so he tried a different tactic. Maybe it would take their own well being to cancel out Netto's own? Perhaps. (_What about **their** well-being? What would it take to drag them out of the water alive? Time was running oh so short and…

"_Go, please!" Netto liked to think that the wet pricking at the corner of his eyes was from the annoying scratching feeling that his throat was swimming in. He didn't want to really believe that somewhere, his brain was starting to accept the fact that those in the water weren't going to make it._

"_Rockman!" Green eyes wavered once more as they met brown, only to finally shut as their owner sighed. The navi's muscles reluctantly relaxed as his aiming arm fell limply to his side, along with a slight ping as he dismissed his buster. Weaponless, Rockman turned a glare to Mars, obviously none too happy with this turn of events._

"_I'm sorry, Netto-kun" he murmured, even as the brunette's resolve crumbled. One last try, he decided as he turned to Enzan, but even before the words left his lips, the other teen had looked away, fists clenched._

_That cold was clawing again at the pits of his stomach._

"_Now let him go!" He should have tried one more time, should have attempted in one last attempt to make them understand that he wasn't going to make it no matter what commands they complied to. He should have. But he didn't. He cringed at the cold of the knife which was subtly placed against the underside of his clenched arm, but left it unvoiced otherwise. Who knew, once he was bleeding all over the place, maybe they'd __**finally**__ go after those in the water._

"_Gladly" the brunette couldn't hold back the slight choked noise that issued forth as Mars swiped the edge of the blade across the underside of his arm. It wasn't enough to server the limb, but, Netto was pretty sure it was close enough of a compromise for whatever whacked up religion the guy was following._

_For a moment, he wasn't sure if Rockman had even noticed. Then again, right before he was flipped over Mars's back _–and into the water, a part of him noted off-handedly…-_ there __**was**__ a flash of blue, rushing forward to meet the taller captor._

_Well…it was a start in any case.  
_

* * *

"_Netto-kun!" there was one splash, marking the entry of the aforementioned into the water. This was followed quickly by one more, yet much larger, splash as the speaker of before tackled his target into the same body of water._

_It was cold. He registered that first as the copyroid body fought with his systems to restore a proper sense of calibration. It was dark, which came through second as he began searching for the whole point of him diving forward in the first place. _"Where is he?"

_Any other searching was driven off track as Rock felt his leg grabbed from behind. Whirling, green eyes widened as they recognized Mars's bulky form. Acting on instinct, he caught the knife as it plunged downwards towards his navi crest, and twisted it away from the larger man with the added strength allowed a program such as himself._

_Nonetheless, momentarily unable to block due to the discarding of the knife, Rock was forced to take the boot to his gut. He was driven back a meter or two, only to glare back up at his attacker. Or he would have, if said human hadn't been making to surface. Growling, the navi was quick to follow, snagging Mars's foot just before the kidnapper had a chance to taste the oxygen above. Without giving the larger man a chance to react, Rock whipped the leg around and let go, throwing him into the murky depths below. Battle programming screamed at him to follow the attacker, only for it to be drowned out by his 'worry complex' roaring at him to find Netto…__**now**_

_Needless to say, he followed the latter._

_Kicking off in the opposite direction, the navi found himself wishing that the brunette had been in his standard orange vest. It would have made things so much easier _–and Netto would have been so much safer-_ if this had been so. Still, Rock continued downward. Netto hadn't been under that long, he was fine. Perfectly fine. He had to be…He just…_

_Any morbid thoughts were promptly dashed out the window as a glimpse of pale skin was caught within the murk. Without a second thought, the navy one threw himself in that direction, chasing after the skin that had somehow found its way to Rock's eyes. _–Hurrying, quicker, faster…he had to…!-

_It took a moment, but with that, the navi could identify the limp form as Netto. Granted, he was bandana-less and in a rather unbecoming school uniform…but it was still Netto. Rockman latched his arms around his partner's chest, gave a tight squeeze –_just to make sure that **yes**, this was Netto-kun and that he wasn't going **anywhere**- _before he kicked towards the surface and by default the oxygen that his passenger needed.._

_Netto would be just fine…right?_

* * *

_Enzan winced as the knife flew forwards again, striking the crowbar in a clash of metal which was death to the ears. This was __**so**__ much easier in crossfusion…Never again would he take that power for granted. __**Everything**__ seemed to be so much easier with the navi-coating and enhanced muscle power._

_Still, the crowbar he'd grabbed from the boxes wasn't a sword, but it was doing a pretty good job nonetheless. Again, Ares's knife came down, and again it was met by the metal bar. Going out on a limb idea-wise, Enzan used the distraction of clashing metal to nimbly shoot his foot out, sending his attacker far off of balance. Another well placed kick brought his attacker dangerously to one side, meaning that once the teen darted backwards, his crowbar with him, Ares had no support an no where to go but down._

…_Which also, conveniently enough, meant the water._

_Breathing harshly, the net-savor watched as the water rippled and bulged, marking the entrance of its newest occupant. The liquid was murky at best obscuring any hopes of the dual haired one spotting his adversary before the other surfaced. But perhaps Ares would run? Maybe…possibly…_

_Moments began to look like they'd turn into minutes as the teen continued to stare from the water's edge. Slowly…ever so slowly, he began to turn away, finally managing a full 180 degrees after a few more moments without incident. Although, just as he thought it was safe, Enzan whirled as another splash came from the water, half expecting Ares to rise up again. It wasn't the kidnapper that had risen, but instead, a rather waterlogged Rockman had just broken the surface, one arm hooked around an equally drenched Netto's chest._

"_Enzan!" weapon forgotten in an instant, the net savor sprinted to the edge of the pier, dropping to his knees as the navi approached. "Take him" he didn't need the prompt as the brunette's limp form was offered, and in a moment the smaller teen had been pulled up and over onto dry land. Rockman was kneeling next to his partner the moment he had pulled himself up as well, eyes already sweeping over the flaccid form to determine the most pressing matter._

"_He wasn't under __**that**__ long…" the navi muttered, but already, alarm bells were ringing as he failed to record a breathing pattern of any sort. "Enzan, get his arm, stop the bleeding" Rock suddenly snapped. "A tourniquet, something!" the blue one continued even as a gloved hand suddenly moved to Netto's collarbone._

_Rockman gingerly ignored the clammy sensation that met his fingertips as he traced down the middle of his netOp's chest, right to the base of the ribcage where they firmly stopped. The other hand gently pushed back Netto's head, letting the mouth fall open and freeing the airway. Both hands now firmly together at the base of the chest, only one thing was left to do._

_Push…1, 2…Push…1, 2…_

"_Come on Netto-kun…" This was going to work. It had to. There was no other option than for it to work. Netto was going to __**live**__. No matter how convinced of the otherwise he'd seemed to be, he was going to live. He had to…!_

_Push…1, 2…__**Push**__…_

"_Please…" harder? Maybe he needed to push harder. "Yes, harder" he admonished himself out loud. "I'm not trying hard enough" he continued. "I have to try harder" yes, everything came to those who deserved it, right? Of course; and the dampness on his face was __**only**__ from going into the drink._

_**Push**__, 1-2, __**Push**__, 1-2, __**Push**__…!_

"_Rockman…" a shoelace, the best he could manage, was tied tightly below the wound, cutting off blood flow to the limb and coincidentally fulfilling Enzan's task. This of course left him to watching the progressing scene awkwardly. Blues would've known what to do, he noted offhandedly. Blues, at least, knew how to deal with Rockman when the blue one was becoming irrational._

_**Push**-__**Push**-__**Push**__…!_

"…_Enough Rockman, it's…" Enzan didn't get to finish his statement, instead interrupted by a harsh cough from the ground. One more push from the blue hands suddenly brought Netto upwards and to the side, his reflexes immediately taking over the duties of retching out the excess water. He gagged for a few moments afterward, finally falling back onto his palms for support._

_Silence for another moment._

"_Netto-kun!" the brunette croaked in surprise as he was caught from the side by his navi. Said navi didn't appear to want to let go of his partner any time in the near future. Enzan just decided that he'd laugh at them both and properly welcome Netto back later. Or he would have, if he had been given the proper chance._

"_Where…where are they?" the smaller teen rasped, surprisingly ignoring the copyroid draped around his waist. Enzan's grin faded just as quickly as it had appeared. That…wasn't good. Rockman too looked a fair amount uncomfortable. Still, he clutched at Netto as if the brunette was a lifeline._

"_They got away" that wasn't what he'd been asking, the older teen knew. Rock knew it too, but for the moment, he'd decided to play the optimist and just answer what he felt like answering. Perhaps in an attempt to deter this train of thought, the navi only proceeded to bring his partner closer, trying to bury him from the morbid trail that the brunette was intent on following._

"_No…the others. Where are they?" Netto continued even as Rockman sought to distract him. When no response made itself available, pieces of the answer slowly began to fall together within the brunette's mind; it was an answer that he was none too happy with._

"_Let…" even within the strong grip of Rock, the smaller teen began to struggle to get loose. "Let me go…!" No, he was not going into the water again. He would not, the navy vowed to himself. Netto-kun would stay right __**here**__. He would stay where it was safe. He would not leave Rockman again, he would not leave him alone to worry about what could happen. _

"_No" Netto would not jump into the water to save the long dead, especially if Rockman had anything to say about it._

"_Rock-!" the impending rant was suddenly cut short as Netto's eyes widened and his recently regained breathing hitched in his throat. It took a moment more, but in the end, the brunette slumped onto Rockman, out like a light. Frowning, Enzan took note of the gloved hand at the back of the other teen's neck, but said nothing on the matter._

"_I'm sorry, Netto-kun" it had been them or him. He'd made his choice. Now all that was left was for Netto to deal with it.  
_

* * *

_Bwahaha! I am the master of the celestial brush! FEAR MY WRATH!_

…_glad I got that off my chest. Now, onto business. Question 1: why is this late? _

_Answer 1: I was playing far too much Okami, as the above statement can verify. It numbed my brain. Actually, more like fried it, but I can't help it…just so…addicting! If you have a playstation 2…or 3, I command thou to go and buy Okami. Best game ever I say._

_Question 2: what was the point of that whole pointless bit at the beginning?_

_Answer 2: I dunno either…but I do know that I don't like it. It's only there because it's necessary to show that Rock was around, and that he was in a copyroid body. Seems far too fake to me though, with all the A team and B team nonsense :P_

_Question 3: how many chapters left?_

_Answer 3: Two. One more with actual plot, along with a tentative epilogue and outtakes._

_Question 4: Do you own Rockman.exe?_

_Answer 4: No._

_Question 5: Do you wish you did?_

_Answer 5: again, no. If I did, I'd probably end up spending my whole day behind a desk with paperwork instead of rotting my brains out with video games. I'm content with borrowing the characters though._

_Question 6: Do you consider any character out of character in this chapter?_

_Answer 6: Yes, the main ones being Netto, Rockman and Enzan, though the latter especially much. Keep in mind that this __**is**__ anime based, as I'm quite sure MangaEnzan would have no trouble letting Netto die with other lives on the line._

_Question 7: Has anyone actually asked all these questions?_

_Answer 7: Yes. Myself._

_Question 8: who would you like to thank for this chapter?_

_Answer 8: Necklace of Raindrops, Lightningstar-Icy, Firehedgehog, Random Irony, Yuki's Little Girl, Atreyu the Slayer, miforever29, Ryoki-chan, et, biensur, touts les 1356 'hits'. __Je vous aime. Beaucoup. Qui sais pourquoi je parle en francais? Je ne sais pas pourquoi aussi :P Je pense c'est parce-que j'ai besoin d'etudier mon francais dans l'ete et je ne faisais pas encore._

_Ciao! –runs off with her fake license to write drama and angst filled crap that in character characters would never follow-_


	10. On a Leash

"_You've been hurt by unspeakable pain and sadness;_

_Don't say things like 'I can't laugh' or 'I hate people'._

_There's meaning in everything that happens in this unseen future;_

_So stay as you are for now, I know there'll be a time when you realize it"_

-UVERworld, "D-technolife"

* * *

It was funny how much could change with the push of a button.

"Understood, we will try to move him. Please do your best Nori-san" Another push of the button and the conversation died with a blip. Unfortunately, _this_ was not one of those button pushes which brought about a difference. Granted, _that_ button push had been not to long before anyway. Not too terribly important at the time either, Blues observed offhandedly. Should have been nothing more than a standard report in.

Of course, it seemed that now hadn't been. He had been apprehensive at best of the peace –_When in fact he knew that things were far from peaceful between his own operator and the two other humans that he preferred to associate with, he still chose to take the quiet at face value and accept the false calm with the mind that he was a program and under no expectations to indicate an understanding higher than what data could prove_- And now, it seemed that even this had been shattered; Unfortunate, but unpreventable. Events such as the guerillas of Port-o-caldo –_for that was what the newscasters were naming it, so who was he to claim otherwise-_ were events that seldom were left buried for long.

And here was the question, who would ask first? Who would breach the subject that no one wanted to address? Laika already knew. Searchman would not question because he was a soldier, his operator his superior, and so he would discern the information when, and only when, it was handed to him. His own operator, Enzan, would not ask –_if nothing more than to nurse the wounded pride that had been torn from the moment he'd looked away from the video feed-_ Rockman held too many questions, held too much shock –_such an optimist about the whole matter…if not a little out of it at times…_- it was disbelief mostly, he hadn't quite planned on this matter truly coming back to bite them in the ass, thought about it, talked about it, yes. But truly believed it…?

Netto was Netto.

Which left him alone without a valid excuse; If he'd _really_ wanted to, he could have convinced himself that he too should follow in the footsteps of his operator, but it wasn't worth the effort. Socially awkward? What was that? His programming detailed no such thing.

"Laika-san?" years of judging his own operator by body language alone allowed the navi the knowledge that the green haired soldier had barely bitten back a sigh; more years of experience told him that pressing would not be the way to progress either. So he waited.

"There is a disturbance on the reception floor. The call to hospital security described it as a 'large man yelling about Hikari Netto'. He is surrounded by civilians and it's highly possible he has a weapon" a pause to allow proper digestion of the facts presented, then the good news –_however small and uncomforting_- was given. "Nori-san went to assist" a nod from the crimson navi even as Rockman shuddered from within Blues's peripheral vision. It wasn't surprising that he wasn't taking this well.

"We're going to move Netto, just in case this is only a distraction" he refrained from snorting, barely. '_Just in case_' unlikely; Laika knew as well as he did that there was little doubt the disturbance was only a distraction. If nothing else, there were two men still remaining. It was unlikely that one would stay behind and allow the other all the…fun.

It took only two steps to bring the green-haired one to Netto's immediate bedside. For his part, the object of this operation seemed to be dead-set on winning a staring contest with the ceiling. Now came the hard part. How to move an unwilling participant…? –_because Blues was not as optimistic/naïve/in denial as Rockman. He knew that Netto was in no mindset to be successfully coaxed into cooperation with a threat to his life-_ Laika spent all of thirty seconds staring awkwardly between his hands and the brunette's bed-ridden form before his blue eyes met with Enzan's.

"Help me get him up" and that was that. It wasn't so much forgiveness as it was a chance to kind-of, sort-of make things right. Whatever the case, Blues was proud to observe his operator pausing only momentarily before moving to assist Laika.

It seemed that Enzan-sama was growing up.

* * *

_Head throbbing, mouth dry, pins and needles all up his arm…the list went on; Although, the sensation of actually recognizing these feelings was odd to say the least. Perhaps it was off track, but still, he wondered whether or not this was a good thing. Vaguely, a notion within the back of his mind dictated to him that, __**no**__, he should __**not**__ have been living at this point in time._

_But where had that come from? He wasn't suicidal…was he?_

_This of course was followed quickly by a once over of who exactly he __**was**__. Was he truly seeking death? More importantly, was he dead?-_this would kind of make the former question irrelevant, so it **was** rather significant-_ It would be nice to remember the answer to such a thing. It would be nicer to remember if living was a happy prospect or not, so that he could react accordingly when the answer to the previous question became answerable._

_Suddenly aware that he had such things, brown eyes snapped open. His torso –_which also had abruptly made its presence known-_ attempted to follow in their stead by sitting upright, only to falter mid-crunch and bring the body crashing back downwards onto a white sheet._

_Breathe in, breathe out…_

"_Ow" he croaked to anyone that would listen. And listeners there were, for in an instant it seemed there was a whole ward of nurses to surround him, each with their own tidbit of advice, ranging from 'Please hold still Hikari-san' all the way to 'LAY DOWN BEFORE YOU HURT YOURSELF!'. It was far from a pleasant experience._

"_What-?" with all the vocals of a bullfrog, the plea had barely made its way past his open mouth before what he assumed was supposed to be a comforting hand was placed on his forehead and it was possible to make out a murmured 'be quiet please'. Vocal chords spent, he had no choice but to fall back to the sheets and attempt to glare at the hand still resting on his features._

_Of course, that still didn't answer his question. A suspicious blank was being pulled as he tried to dredge together the exact circumstances to why he was here. Vague ideas would be nice even. Anything? No? Ah. Just his luck it seemed._

"_Rockman…?" it was the first name that came to mind and his mouth spit it out accordingly. For a moment he hovered over the question if it was __**his**__ name, but then released it on the grounds that there was no face to place with the rather odd designation. He wanted to believe that if and when murmured his name, he would at least be able to remember that it was his._

"_Enzan…?" another title, still no face; and for that matter, no more tidbits from the nurses fussing over him. Had they even heard him? Geeze…his only possible sources of information and they just wouldn't spit anything out. At this point, he was willing to take __**anything**__, so long as it at least cleared up a few questions._

"_The poor boy…"_

"_Not another word" of course. Because any indication as to __**why**__ he was a poor boy would be just too convenient, wouldn't it? Of course. He suppressed the urge to thrash out within the white sheets, armed only with the knowledge that so far he'd been unable to even sit up. This sucked. Really, it did. So did the knowledge that even if he tried to get up, there was no one but the nurses to push him back down._

_Would have been nice to see someone other than them, he wished idly. He wondered where they –_although, who **they** were still eluded him at the moment_- were. Was there something more pressing to the point where it usurped seeing him…whoever he was and wherever the visiting would have taken place._

_Dammit he hated this._

* * *

He was glad that Netto wasn't speaking. Otherwise he would have never heard the end of it. With the brunette now deposited bridal-style in his arms, Laika jogged as well as he could down the hallways, trying to avoid jostling his cargo and at the same time keep up with Enzan. It was a far from happy balance, but one that was necessary all the same.

"We're taking the stairs" a frown tugged at the corners of the soldier's mouth, though Enzan knew before he even turned around that clarification was needed. "They can't get the copter here for a good ten minutes; we're not wasting time"

"I didn't say anything" he muttered, even though they both knew that he'd been thinking about it. "The elevator is too easy to stop from outside" he added quickly, as if it should have proven his stance on the matter. Declining to comment –_as this was probably the most they'd spoken in a couple days, and he really didn't need to ruin it_- Enzan merely continued on to the emergency door.

They were getting out of here. Or at least, Netto was. Over the course of political negotiations with Port-o-Caldo, along with attempts to contact the rebellion from which Mars and Ares originated, the brunette had become far too important a witness –_a self inflicted mute witness, but a witness all the same_- …for governmental compensation pay.

And so, while the civilians below dealt with a possibly armed hostile, they were here trying to evacuate a single boy who may or may not have been under any threat in the first place. He hated orders like this. Really, he did. Frowning, Laika merely shifted the body that he held and continued up the staircase. Despite any frustration to the situation at hand, there was nothing he could do.

"Laika?" an eyebrow rose. What? What could it _possibly_ be now? "Are you coming or not?" a pause to observe, and then, indeed, it seemed that he had slowed considerably.

"I'm coming" he assented. "Although, I wish that Hikari would stop acting like a vegetable; you'd think that he _wanted_ to die" another pause for that to digest. An even longer pause as Enzan fought to hide his grimace and Rockman all but fainted. The green haired one attempted a cough to cover the awkward pause, only to have it die in his throat along with a possible apology. "Let's keep moving" Laika finally broke the silence with. There were no arguments to that.

"We've got four floors left" the blue navi tried. Really, Laika mused to himself, this was a tactic that the post-duty counselors would try. Change the subject and hope it all passes. He hadn't known that Rockman had had the proper denial drive to complete such a method. He would have been impressed if any notion to do so hadn't been drowned out for a complete pity to the state. He'd **just** begun to believe that the navi was stronger than this too… –_he refused to include Netto in this statement, because doing so would indicate that it was possible he would forgive the brunette for this…this…lacking? Lacking of will, of courage, of maturity…of __**something**__ that would indicate he was fine. No, he would not forgive…-_ he had just begun to think that perhaps there **was** something worth respecting, only for it to crumble pitifully.

Perhaps he'd really meant those words.

He did not understand how those brown eyes could continue to stare blankly upward, devoid of even the understanding that they had possessed a few days before. **Then**, Netto had still heard, still paid attention, still made miniature movements which would relay the tiniest of mood swings and assure Laika that sooner or later someone would break Hikari out of it and things would return to a relative normal.

Now, of course, he wasn't so sure. He had doubted for a long while if the words 'give up' were truly in Hikari Netto's vocabulary, and just as he had finally begun to convince himself –_and perhaps…a begrudging slice of respect to be swallowed with the assurance-_ the brat had to go and pull this whole guilt business. –_because, he would convince himself that, in terms of skill, Netto was still a brat and nothing but-_ He suddenly had the urge to punch the boy.

"Laika-san?" and perhaps the brunette would never know how much he owed Searchman for breaking his operator out of that particular train of thought. Inner musings –_while working __**only**__! Be true to yourself whenever you can! The counselor had told him_- were dangerous for a soldier. They made orders that much more difficult to follow, unfortunately.

"Yes?" he addressed the PET without taking his eyes off the ever-winding staircase –_left right, left right, keep marching on-_ He didn't quite trust Enzan enough not to stop short and sending them all tumbling if the green-haired one so much as turned away to even look at his navi. Wouldn't _that_ be wonderful?

"I'm sorry. You just appeared to be distracted for a moment…it's nothing" the proverbial nail had been hit right on the head it seemed. If he hadn't known better –_and hadn't spent hours pouring over data from cross fusion records to prove otherwise-_ he would have sworn that Searchman was reading his mind. But as it was, that was –_more than likely_- impossible and improbable.

"One floor" filtered in the hopeful tenor of Rock. Perhaps he believed the helicopter would arrive early. Maybe he thought that the assault was solely originating from the bottom floor. Possibly, he believed that if he ignored it all and just focused on being transported up the stairs, it would all go away. At this rate, Laika was disappointed to admit, he would end up about as responsive as his operator.

'_Too much thinking, keep moving; I can contemplate the psychological impact of this when I'm enroute to Sharro again'_ Indeed, it was looking up, both literally and figuratively. Enzan had just reached the door to the roof. A few more moments brought him and his cargo to the same place and then…they were out. A light drizzle pattered a few drops of water onto the unprotected form of the soldier every few moments, but it was nothing to worry about, hopefully. He still made a note to call in and make sure the pilot was aware of this and that it would be no hindrance.

"Too easy" he heard Enzan murmur.

"Indeed" Laika then did what no soldier should have ever done. He froze.

* * *

_When it came back to him, it came back with the force of a brick wall._

_The nurse had done nothing more than offer him a drink, an innocent looking bottle of water. Where it should have allowed him a reprieve from possessing the vocals of a bullfrog, all that the brunette could manage was to listen to the crashing of the waves that had suddenly presented themselves to him. It didn't even take a moment for the barrage of memories to replace themselves correctly. Shortly after, he leaned to the side and retched. The boy's stomach empty, all he could really do was dry heave; though it was the thought that truly counted._

"_No…" But the nurse was already reaching for him, more than likely armed with a washcloth and words meant –_though not succeeding-_ to comfort._

"_It's not fair!" with strength he didn't know he possessed, he flung himself upwards again, curtly ignoring the pain on his chest to focus more on the jolt as his wildly swinging elbow connected with __**something**__ or other and pushed it back. The other arm followed quickly, striking what could have been a bedside table and more than possibly sending it tumbling to the floor._

"_Dammit Rock!" one leg kicked out, flinging the sheets upwards only to have them fall back down and tangle themselves around the brother limb which wasn't so much up to the task. Still, the unharmed appendage thrashed about like a caught fish in a net, unwilling to succumb to be gutted. _–or in this case, perhaps just to be sedated-_ Hands were beginning to grab for him again, and this time he consciously shoved them away, far more content to flail about._

"_Dammit Enzan!" but they were persistent. As one arm tore its way free from its captors, only more hands seemed to take their place holding the limb down. His good leg lashed about all the same, uncaring as it jarred its broken counterpart along with anything else within striking range. If a someone or two lost the ability to have children because of their proximity to his feet, it wasn't his fault._

"_Dammit!" The brunette strained upward, and held his own against the hands for all of three seconds before he was pushed back down and held fast. No matter, his lower body did more than enough squirming for him as he pushed off his good leg, almost managing to twist over to lie on his stomach. Back cracking wetly, he had just enough time to clamp his pillow between his teeth before he was rolled back over into the waiting hands._

"_**Dammit**__!" the pillow flew like a bullet as he whipped his head around, striking someone or other in the face and causing them to wheel backwards and upset a chair in the process. With one side of captors distracted, the wriggling boy managed to free an arm _–thankfully not his shredded one, as the nurses were beginning to hold so tight now that he was sure their grip could rip the skin off his already torn arm-_ It flailed anew, trying in vain to push the rest of the body up so that he could get away from __**here**__ and demand an explanation._

"_This isn't right!" sensing that he was tiring, the hands finally managed to clamp down onto his thrashing legs, pinning the healthy one and causing the broken one to be jolted to the point where it just refused to continue cooperating and promptly fell limp. Only one arm left…_

"_Netto-kun, please…!" And the lapse was all they needed. As the brunette whipped his head around to catch a glimpse of the program, a waiting syringe promptly located the proper pathway on an outstretched arm and quickly entered its contents into his bloodstream. Still, the brunette was a tad too distracted by the appearance of his navi to fully react with the rebellion that had been expected of him._

"_Rock…you…!" the staff backed up, their job done, even as the brunette struggled to reach an arm out towards the PET. Features softening, the program assumed that some form of comfort _–however futile it may be from a hologram-_ was being sought, and made his way forward to try and make it marginally better._

_This, of course, was put on hold as the brunette sluggishly swiped at him. For a moment, Rock presumed that his operator wasn't quite thinking so clearly and that he had believed the program to be a solid object. But this too was shot down as the blue navi slowly realized that Netto was…__**glaring**__ at him…_

"_I…hate…" the sedatives already worming through his systems, the boy fought to move his mouth properly. It twitched once, then twice, trying to relay the last word left within. Almost…so close, so very close…one syllable and…!_

"…_you" spent, Hikari Netto promptly succumbed to the medication and left Rockman alone to ponder._

* * *

More than likely they'd been followed. It was the only plausible explanation he could come up with. Their pursuers had probably waited at the bottom of the staircase, just out of view, and patiently lingered until he and Laika had entered the shaft. The man downstairs had been a distraction, of course, and they were now trapped like rats smoked out of their hole and into a corner.

Ares grinned. Mars looked ready to kill. This was not pleasant.

He managed to overhear Laika hissing something or other to his PET, to which he could just make out Searchman's reply of 'five minutes'. Far from comforting; Vaguely, he wished that he was allowed to carry at least _something_ other than a PET when he was on duty. Just because he was a **net**-savor didn't mean that…

But, Enzan supposed, such things were better to think about when there wasn't a threat to his health in the nearby vicinity.

"You're both alive" a statement. Stalling was looking good, especially if their opponents were armed and they weren't. Five minutes; the clock was ticking especially slow today.

"We are"

"And we're pissed as hell" Ares cracked his knuckles to accent his fact, grinning ear to ear as something or other, most likely a very gory something, made its way across his train of thought. Maybe they would be lucky and the shorter of the two would spend the whole five minutes fantasizing and weighing the pros and cons of each and every way to extract his wrath.

Or maybe Mars would elbow him in the side and nod forward.

As the pair each took a step forward, Enzan and Laika both took a step backwards. The latter shot what might have been an apprehensive glance to the unresponsive cargo in his arms. A quick glance to the dual haired teen assured the soldier that his back could now be considered watched. Maybe they were still technically at odds, but now of all times was not really the best moment to be remembering that much.

"Dimensional area?" it was offered by Searchman, and a small blip from Blues's PET substituted for agreement on the matter. Laika let out a low sigh, eyes glancing skyward for a moment so quick that Enzan wasn't quite sure it had even happened. Nonetheless, the message was clear. The helicopter would not be able to make it though. This wasn't even counting the difficulty of obtaining a proper degree of sanctioned action to be able to use crossfusion.

Rogue navis were one thing. Humans _–no matter what they had done, they were still humans and still considered…higher-_ were another all together. The answer went unvoiced. –_Along with the fact that he was glad, no matter what, that for the moment the decision was out of his hands and there was no threat of a life being ended by his judgment-_

"I'm giving you five seconds" and with that Enzan dashed forward, curtly ignoring the voice in the back of his mind that rather smugly told him this was something _Netto_ would do. An angry buzzing rose to a fever in his ears, pushing out all other sound with the rush of what he could label as adrenaline. Just focus on his face. Fingers curled into a fist at his side…It was like a netbattle. Focus. The fist lashed out from the side…Focus focus focus…!

And was deftly caught in Mars's open palm.

Somewhere, Enzan remembered that he never _had_ been all that great at the martial arts. Particularly against people larger than him. Things were _so_ much easier with a navi's programming _–ignoring the part, of course, where it was made clear that he was human and was not supposed to be programmed in the first place-_ For a brief moment it was just him at the mercy of a larger man who wanted to kill him. Yes, nothing odd there at all.

"Ha!" Laika's knee came out of no where, nailing the large man in the gut while his arm had been occupied targeting Enzan's face. He must have been reacting far too slow for the soldier's liking, as before he really had a chance to register the change of positions, a hand had grabbed the base of his collar and dragged him back a good meter.

"Idiot…! That was something…!" exactly what he'd been thinking? Yes. Unwilling to finish his sentence, the green-haired one frowned and looked back to the large two men. Like Enzan, he'd realized that some things were better left unsaid –_or preferably, he mused, some were just better left completely forgotten. It would have saved a lot of trouble, not to mention put guidance counselors out of a job-_

"Suddenly I'm glad I passed basic training" Digressing must have been the only way he could think to avoid the topic. Enzan didn't blame him. Despite the fact that they were 'guarding' him, it was now pathetically easy to ignore the brunette left sprawled behind them. Out of sight, out of mind.

The rest was a blur.

The dual haired teen could, at one point, distinctly remember Laika being the first to charge forward. No, no, another voice would chide in the back of his mind as he narrowly avoided a knife stabbing towards his abdomen, it had been one of the large men. Grunting as a large fist smacked against his rib cage instead, the net savor became sure of it. Right; now that he'd covered _that_, he would struggle to…

"Laika…!" too little too late; Attention was suddenly snapped back to the present like an elastic band as a baseball-sized fist slammed into the soldier's cheek. The struggle had not lasted long. With Enzan's attention diverted, a fist to the gut brought him crashing to the ground just as Blues struggled to cry out in warning.

"Enzan-sama!" drowsily, he attempted to pull together his now muddled train of thought, choosing to focus on his navi's voice as an anchor to consciousness. He flinched instinctively as a brown boot loomed overhead _–because at the moment, pride and reputation had taken a back seat to self preservation-_ but let it pass as the footware did the same, instead carrying on to continue moving its owner forward.

That hadn't worked well at all.

Netto made no sound as he was lifted up by the scruff of his collar, made no move to acknowledge the fact that he was in any different a position than he had been a moment or two before. Would a dimensional area be warranted _now_? When the life of another human was in danger? On the scale of a government's morals, did Netto's life balance out with that of two murderers? _–on his own conscience, did a friend's indirect death equal out with the lack of blood on his hands?-_

Ares was downright cackling by this point, as it was becoming increasingly obvious that he'd lost it somewhere across the course of events. He was yelling something or other, crying out about how Netto should have been begging for his life or…a nap sounded good right about now. Yes it…

"_Enzan_-sama…" the anchor re-cast, he managed to look up once more, frowning and trying to prop himself up as the shorter of the two continued to go on about something or other that really wasn't all that important to him. If he kept this up then…

Dammit. The other one looked like he could read minds. He'd begun yelling as well, and the dual-haired teen could pick up the gist of the argument. Something along the lines of 'get it over with'. There was a sigh, resignation, and then the glint of a drawn knife.

"Netto…!" The rest descended into a blur as the world suddenly became a myriad of horribly clashing hues. A pillar of blue light suddenly launched upward from directly underneath the shorter of the assailants, separating him from his target. Netto fell to the ground in an unresponsive heap, while his savior, now in corporeal form, stood protectively over his limp form.

"Rockman!" One shot, no time to even yell, the plasma was fired, a hole was created and Ares dropped to the ground. Second shot, time enough to smile in acceptance, the attack tore itself loose, Mars had a gap to match his accomplice, and he too was suddenly face down on the hospital roof.

The choice was out of his hands. Enzan was glad.

* * *

_It began with anger._

_Pure rage, directed at one who he'd never considered possibly needing of his wrath. It boiled, burned and bubbled within, threatening to claw its way out of every pore, pressuring itself within him, building itself up even as the moments wore on and no suitable outlet made itself known._

_Maybe it was childish. Maybe it wasn't. But whatever the case, he gave in and decided that they would __**know**__ how much he hated them at the moment. The oldest trick in the book, possibly overused and yet still so golden…he just would not talk to them. For how long even he didn't know _–indeed, such things never lasted forever, even his muddled mind could grasp that much-_ And yet, he refused to breech to topic with himself, instead choosing to believe that he would and could continue this on until things were made "right"._

_Of course, this was assuming that he ever figured out how things __**could**__ ever be right._

_Lips clamped shut, forehead furrowed, fists clenched to the point where his knuckles turned white, in a brilliant mockery of childish temper tantrums and the like he held his stance, refusing to 'lighten up'; if he'd cared to admit it, he would have noted that this was a personality quirk that he'd always hated to see in other people. But, he __**didn't**__ care to admit it, and so, the pretense continued on._

_Doing so was relatively easy, he stared at the ceiling, stared at the TV, stared at the cardboard food, stared at whatever he could, so long as it was not Rock. He would make sure that his navi knew how mad he was. He would make sure his friend knew that lives had been lost. And even though he refused to go so far as to admit it, he could and would make his partner suffer in the process._ –The scary part being, of course, that he could no longer discern whether or not that was a good thing-

_It was somewhere around this time that part of his mind began to fight back with the fact that the blame did not rest solely on Rockman and Enzan. It was somewhere around the time that he ignored his father for the second or third time, _-what to do about the others? He'd wondered for a while. And then, he'd finally just shaken his head and decided that he'd speak again when he was good and ready and not before…-_ and sometime around when he had completely and utterly destroyed what few beliefs Enzan held when it came to him, Hikari Netto._

_He realized _–remembered more like-_ that it was his fault too._

_Day one of this revelation brought nothing but anxious rustling within the hospital bed and the sudden impossibility of finding a comfortable spot within the sheets. Day two gave him nothing but time to contemplate this further, bringing what little spirit he still possessed to what could have been a lifetime low. Day three brought an unwelcome presence in the form of Laika, which merely reminded him of what it had taken to even attempt saving them; A feat that he himself had been incapable of. Day four a blur of what might have been his life as questions were suddenly re-fired in the hopes of acquiring answers. Day five left him alone to ponder these questions._

_And so, on day six, it would come down to a single question._

_Why had he survived?_

* * *

He was going to have to thank Meijin-san later. It was nice that at least _some_ people didn't ask an insane amount of questions. 

Breathing heavily, –_true, he had no need, but it was more a habit than anything else, and he didn't particularly feel like giving up what little he could link to humanity-_ Rockman struggled to steady himself and put a halt to the quaking which seemed to be wracking over his form. Now, perhaps, would be a good time to do a bit of overriding on his reaction matrix.

He wanted to say that he hadn't known how easily plasma would rip through a human. Wanted to and couldn't.

Still not quite sure what he was supposed to make of the incredulous stares he was receiving from Enzan and Laika, the navi shakily managed to dismiss his buster and allowed both hands to drop to his sides. Something told him that perhaps he should have been a little more distressed, or a tad more shocked. The best he could manage was restraining himself from kicking the bodies.

Maybe the two other humans saw this in his eyes as he began to make his way to his operator. Maybe they noticed that something was…off within his reaction matrix. Maybe; but whatever the case, it didn't matter so long as they didn't act. Boots padding with obvious purpose across the hospital roof, it was suddenly no longer a chore to keep his face straight and refrain from dashing to the brunette's side. Netto was _fine_, he had convinced himself. There had been no harm done, nothing more than a few, now meaningless, threats. Not that the brunette had cared anyway. No, nothing to be worrying about.

He was now to the point where ignoring Enzan and Laika's reactions was far easier and hassle-free than actually addressing them. _–Really, a voice in the back of his mind added, why were they so surprised? Would not Blues and Searchman do the same for their respective operators? Maybe they had not considered that tidbit of insight yet-_ So he continued on. Three more steps forward and there he was. After that, it was only a matter of squatting down to near eye-level and he was suddenly capable of communicating with his operator.

"Netto-kun, oi, Netto-kun…" nothing; It was predictable, but still unwelcome. The program frowned all the same, but moved on to patting the boy's cheek -_firmly ignoring the urge to slap him until his face was black and blue...What was that about?-_ It wasn't as if he was unconscious, but still, the taps did nothing to shake the boy into some state of cooperation.

"Netto-kun…!" this was ridiculous, something or other in the back of his AI began. Hadn't he been standing by this whole time, supporting, waiting, believing… _-because, once those…men…were gone, things should have gone back to normal, correct? Netto should have sprung upwards, laughing and joking and…-_ …but that was what he'd been programmed for, he supposed. He, as the obedient program and faithful friend, was to contently wait until things righted themselves.

"Get up"

…Or maybe not.

It was an order, not to be confused with a request. As the moments ticked by and no compliance could be found, something that might have been known as a growl welled up within the navi's throat. Green eyes furrowed, an already tight mouth fell into an even firmer frown and gloved hands grasped at the shoulders of his operator.

"Hikari Netto!" shaking did no good. _–Tempting though it was, he did not throttle him-_ He was…frustrated. Yes. Angry? Maybe. It was hard to tell. No matter what state of mind, his operator consistently possessed the ability to warp the emotions of those around him to a point where they were indiscernible. He should have been used to it, should have been immune to it. Up until now, he had believed that he was.

Rock was faintly aware of the fact that he was glaring.

"Up" the navy one barked. It didn't matter that this was Netto-kun, didn't matter that he was really not in the state to be forced to his feet…the brunette was going to _stand_ goddammit and…! "I said get up!" fists ensnared in the bundle of fabric below the brunette's collar, the navi abruptly lurched upward; bringing his operator to eye level. It wasn't quite what he'd wanted, but it'd do.

It took a moment for Rock to realize this was exactly how Ares had been holding Netto up not a minute before. If he'd been human –_how many times he'd pondered/wished that, no one knew-_ he would have quite surely thrown up. As it was, the program just managed to keep his internal calibration online and his legs functioning properly.

Still…momentarily freezing in place, the navi was suddenly torn between dropping his partner in favor of a _serious_ self-assessment, or continuing on until he managed…something. –_to jabber away in such fluid conversation, just being able to talk, hearing him obsess over the stupidest things…was that enough motivation?-_ Settling for halfway, Rock's face softened into what could be taken either as an apology or regret. It didn't really help that he himself wasn't completely sure on the matter. Although, the importance of knowing which it was slowly waning as Netto remained unmoved.

Which brought Rockman back to square one; again the wave of indignation rose. Teeth clenched, fists tightened to the point where even his blunt fingertips were beginning to dig into his skin, he tugged at the emotion's leash, offering short strings of override coding in the hopes of disabling the rising urge to forgo the shaking-in of sense and just start _punching_.

He had more control than that…right?

Maybe he would have if Netto had not chosen that moment to speak again for the first time since that initial bedside scuffle.

"You sh…" eyes didn't meet, no matter how much one party wished otherwise. "…s-should have…" brown remained glassed over and out of it, while green searched eagerly for any abrupt sign of change within the unmoved eyes. _This is it_, those eyes told the leash, _it's over now…!_ They assured the taunt and frayed line of binary keeping a particular section of AI in check. _Netto-kun is __**speaking**__! It's over! Everything will be…_

"…let me die" _…just fine_. Utter silence. It took a moment, but suddenly, the green eyes were no longer so eager to glance into their brown counterparts. Struck speechless, the navi could do nothing than grasp at incoherent wisps of thought, sending his AI and emotion matrix into a brief system freeze. As it struggled to force itself online, only one sub-folder of codes managed anything that could be counted as a successful command execution.

With that one final tug, the leash snapped.

As if let go from an elastic band, Rock's forearm flew forward with all the force his data-based form possessed, striking Netto clear across the face. The punch carried itself on into its follow-through even as the green eyes squeezed themselves shut and tried in vain to convince the memory banks that it had never happened in the first place. –_human flesh was such soft business, maybe his form had been modeled after a human, but in no way was punching a human the same as punching a navi-_ It didn't matter that the impression of the brunette's flesh across his knuckles was forever burned into his mind, he didn't **want** it…!

"What the _**hell**_-" the errant arm was drawn back and fisted along with the other under Netto's collar. An odd voice in the back of his logic sectors questioned as to why the heck he hadn't continued the beating just as another voice from the basics of his programming demanded to know _why_ he had just punched –_an injured no less-_ Netto clear across the face. Teeth still grit, he ignored both ends of his AI and abruptly used his curled hands to draw the brunette forward so that they were now forehead to forehead.

"-was that supposed to mean!?" the brown eyes remained out of focus, though it did not go unnoticed by Rockman as those same eyes slowly drew themselves upward and away from the scene literally right before him. The term 'furious' was beginning to find itself obsolete in describing the navi.

"You don't understand" the hollow words matched their hollow speaker. It had been nothing more than a whisper this time and had been barely audible the first, but the effect was still the same Now that he had open his mouth to respond, Netto was grasping at straws and he knew it. Rock knew it. Silence was a much stronger foe than hurried excuses could ever be –_somewhere in his AI he acknowledged the fact that Netto too had this knowledge locked away somewhere. That much alone was enough for even the tiniest of sudden hope-_

"Don't understand **what**?" a pause to further grind his data-based forehead against his operator's natural one. "Why you're being so difficult?" fingers continued to tighten their grip within the hospital shirt, "Why you're moping?" shouting again, the internal systems had long since given up trying to repair the leash and had decided to let it all just run its course. "Why you're feeling so damn sorry for yourself when you could have been helping out?" a pause to refrain from throwing the human body to the ground –_just because he was angry did not mean that he needed to be hearing the brunette scream in pain-_

"No" Rockman spat. "I don't"

Something caught. The anger that had abruptly boiled over in the navi was burning clearly, and like a wildfire it had continued moving until it had found somewhere else to effectively take root and burn. And somewhere, a flame which had once been so bright, –_which had just recently become nothing more than a pinprick instead of a bonfire-_ slowly began to burn once more.

"Shut _**up**_!" another arm flew out, this one bare of any protective gear and instead clothed with nothing more than a flimsy hospital gown. It too struck its target clear across the face, although the attacker made no motion to shut his eyes and deny as the first had.

"You didn't see them die!" something in Rock recognized the rekindled fire. Something in his programming realized that Netto had suddenly regained a part that the navi had long considered lost to the morbid halls of the hospital. Something in his programming told him that the hard part was over now and he could just quit it and give in.

However, upstairs, they hadn't quite gotten the leash back in working order.

"And how does that make _you_ special? Does it give you pity rights?" foreheads still pressed together, brown eyes were suddenly meeting green. No longer directed towards some far off place, they focused on the here and now, namely stating his case.

"You didn't annoy a group of guys to the point of killing innocent kids!"

"And you didn't make the decision to save a thankless operator over a crowd of innocent children!" features momentarily softened, _–not to catch the brunette off guard, really-_ the line on his rage momentarily pulled taunt again, the fisted hands began to slowly loosen themselves as green eyes allowed themselves to plead.

"It _happened_, Netto-kun. There's nothing we can do about it" for a moment it almost looked as if it worked. It was a nice wish, and probably would have saved Enzan and Laika's eardrums if it had gone through.

"You knew!" the brunette all but screeched. "You knew that if you went after me you wouldn't be able to save them! You _knew_! I thought I was doing the right thing, but you knew!" Whether this was meant to prove Rock's guilt or further Netto's reasons to be sorry for himself even the program didn't know. Somehow, the navy one couldn't find it in him to care what the statement had truly meant.

"I did" he assented. "And I don't take it back"

"You knew…" he continued without an apparent reason. The navi kept his frown, although now more out of disappointment than any form of anger, as the brunette leaned forward out of the already slack grip on his shirt. Smaller and bare fists purposelessly began to beat on the larger chest, as if they were supposed to convey the proper meaning of Netto's former statement.

This was…pathetic.

Originally, Rock had believed that this was something that would pass with time. As time had begun to pass, he had started on the theory that maybe he just needed someone to talk to. This had further evolved into the idea that all the brunette needed was a certain navi to set him straight.

And now, he realized that maybe he was wrong.

The leash was wound up, coiled, reinforced with steel link, and then promptly shoved in the farthest corner of the sub-folder he could possibly find. The wrath was used up, the message was sent, he was _proud_ of the fact that he'd saved Netto's life goddammit and if the brunette didn't like it then there was nothing he could do about it. It was just…something he didn't have control over. He'd thought he had…but…well…that was life –_existence, in his case-_

He admitted that he was part of the problem.

He resigned himself to the rift that was sure to grow between them.

He accepted the fact that Netto valued other lives above his own.

He wondered if he would be replaced.

He prepared himself for the final punch to make contact across his features.

And he cried as Netto flung his arms around a spandex covered chest.

* * *

_Rock loooooooooooooost it. Yay. (beware the long author's note below)_

_I'm sorry about the wait…I really am. (How dare Rowling kill Hedwig!) In other news, writing Blues was fun to say the least :P Laika…not so much. T'was harder than I thought to balance soldier with teenager. Ah well, I just wanted to cover as many people as I could before this is over (poor Searchman…I'm not sure if he'll make it…Next time then…!)_

_About the first 'scuffle'…I don't do fight scenes. My apologies. For those who believe that Enzan and Laika should have kicked butt, please remember that they're 15 or 16-ish here, and yes, while Laika managed to connect a hit while his opponent was off guard, they're still younger and not nearly as used to combat. (I somehow can't picture Laika on the front lines of any sort…I think he's really just a soldier of the net…clarification on that? Anyone?)_

_As to the 'interaction' between Netto and Rock. Three words. So glaringly OOC. Two more words. I know. Six last words. And I hate myself for it._

_But honestly, please raise your hands if you really thought that the second Ares and Mars died Netto would bounce around laughing (if you didn't think I'd kill them off, then that's fine too…) I figured that desperate-ish situations make people/navis do desperate-ish things. Maybe I'm totally and completely wrong. Maybe this is far too much like a soap-opera and needs a major cut down on the angst. Maybe. Many maybes. Suggestions are __**DEFINITELY**__ welcome to help combat this problem. –hint hint-_

_I also realize now that the whole reason to Netto's unwilling-ness is rather stupid and poorly thought-out and explained on my part. The fire metaphors are overused, etc etc…I really need to get to an English class don't I?_

_Once again, I would like to thank all the reviewers for support; a few times, in order to force myself to write, I had to visit the review page and remember there were at least 10 people who had liked it enough to comment. Those people, deserving of my thanks and praise (and therefore, by default, __**your**__ thanks as well…) are Firehedgehog, miforever29, Necklace of Raindrops, Atreyu the Slayer, Random Irony, Yuki's Little Girl, lightningstar-Icy, beedolphin, Xstarlight-dragonX, and Ryoki-chan. Dank u zeer!_

_-throws out EmoNetto plushies for all reviewers- wonderfully OOC…limited time only…_


	11. That Matters

"_I remember when, we used to laugh;  
About nothing at all, it was better than going mad.  
From trying to solve all the problems we're going through,  
Forget them all, because all those nights we would stand and never fall  
Together, we faced it all"_

-Skillet, "Those Nights"

* * *

He wished it had been quieter. At least then, Laika knew, he could have blamed any unease on the sudden lack of noise, which would have been a complete turn from the bustling and rather hectic hospital he had just left. But as it was, the helicopter blades were about as close to peaceful as he knew while they rhythmically hummed away at the air outside; and so he was left without an excuse as to _why_ he wasn't being lulled to sleep by the low-pressure cabin air and supposed-relief that the whole business was finally done with.

Which…it wasn't.

Unfortunately, he, as a soldier of Sharro and therefore rather well-versed in the law, knew that. It didn't help any that he was in the unit of net-safety, and therefore had memorized what had to be every navi-related law until he had been repeating them in his sleep for nights on end. He tried to ignore the fact that he'd also, unlike certain other people, been keeping up with the news.

He wanted to believe that there would be leniency involved. He wanted to have faith that the justice system would reward Rockman by just looking the other way. Maybe he could have if politics hadn't been involved. Who knew? Perhaps even _he_ had an imagination great enough to dream up a simple ending, one which would preferably involve him quietly sitting with his cup of tea and nothing to do but finish a wonderfully intriguing book. _–An occurrence which would be simultaneous with Hikari-hakase eloping with Doctor Regal-_

The game had begun when Netto had been taken. The players had moved their pieces accordingly on their respective turns. And now, in the end, it had come down to two last players, both of which had experienced a slow start. The final turn was taking place. The die had been cast…and now, all that was left was to watch where it fell.

"_Laika? Are you…?"_

Ah, digressing sounded nice, didn't it?

_A cough as he fought to hide his surprise at the other's consciousness. Moments passed with no finish to the sentence seemed forthcoming, and so _–out of pity or an actual beginning of forgiveness he did not know-_ he granted the brunette the gift of continuing for him._

'_Netto will fight it with every breath'_ he realized almost amusedly. Would he really? Perhaps at a slightly earlier time Laika would have been far from sure about the once energetic operator's will to do so. Admittedly, if the common bystander saw him now, doubts would more than likely still be floating about.

"_Leaving? Yes. Nori-san is waiting with a helicopter on the roof"_

"_Oh"_

But, he was no common bystander.

_He should have left. As far as he knew, the proper code of conduct required of a soldier of Sharro entitled that he would, at that point, offer a curt nod and then turn his back and stride silently out of the room. By all means he was still considered on-duty, and therefore denied any and all rights of informal social interaction._

"_I assumed you were supposed to be asleep" he expected a laugh, or perhaps an ear splitting grin, and was rewarded with what might have counted as a shrug. It was progress, he would not complain._

"_Does that mean you don't want to, or that you just can't?" again, a sheepish grin or perhaps the standard nervous laugh was assumed and yet absent. A phantom of the actions merely fell into place beside their stonily silent counterpart, leaving Laika to knead the skin of his forehead and wonder if he was really at one hundred percent again. Maybe he shouldn't have taken those painkillers._

"_I thought you would sneak out tonight. I'm glad I was right" finally, something which appeared semi-normal on the features of Hikari Netto. The smile was neither full nor quite as confident as he remembered it, but it was there all the same._

"_I'm not 'sneaking out', Netto" still, he couldn't help himself. It was too much of a habit when around the brunette. _–And, perhaps, he had even missed such remarks, as they brought an odd sort of normalcy back to what could otherwise be a rather stressing life- _"I have been discharged by my doctor and am expected back in Sharro for a debriefing"_

"_Oh" a pause for the gears to push themselves and begin turning in the adolescent's mind. Then, "You were still leaving without saying bye" again he stopped to ponder over something, as if it were a debate over whether it would properly fit within the tone he had begun to set. Finally, he pouted. "That's mean" Laika hesitated then, knowing that the only response which came to mind was far from what Netto's 'trauma counselor' had advised. _–Him? Treat the brunette as fragile as glass? Unlikely- _He laughed at the fact that one of the few things the shorter one had voiced an opinion on was his need for a psychologist._

"_You're not exactly the one to talk"_

_This needed to be addressed sooner or later. That much Laika was sure of. And as procrastinating was not generally a quality he supported in others, why would he be the hypocrite and begin practicing it now? Whatever the case, it was beginning to show now, creeping onto the edge of Netto's features, sneaking to the corners of his mouth. This, at least, was a reaction coordinated with what he had imagined _–because he could not actually remember a point at which such a topic had been breached between them-

_But still, the grimace that crossed Hikari Netto's face was almost enough to make him take it back._

"_I…" why he was still here, no one knew. It would have taken minimal effort to right then turn on his heel and leave the brunette with nothing but stuttered words that would never leave his mouth and apologies that could never be said. The younger had failed where he had sworn that he would not. He was under no obligation to wait and allow the younger the benefit of acceptance._

_Why would he not move? Why did he stand and wait for the words to come?_

"_I'm sorry" perhaps…it was something that friends did._

_Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in…_

"…_It's fine" a check to make sure all others in the room were asleep or in their navi equivalent. "I am just glad that you're acting more like yourself. Please do not repeat that ever again. It was…unnerving" Breathe out once more, and then duplicate the process all over again. The next part was easy to think, simple to acknowledge, and yet so difficult to voice._

"_Laika…?"_

"_Netto, you fail to realize many things" he was not bothered by the lack of facial retaliation to this comment, instead he was slowly becoming used to it. "But I at least thought that you would be able to see what you are to those around you" Really, reduced to spitting out inner-self jargon? The next thing he knew he'd stow away his battlechips and take up the life of a counselor._

"_You were…different from others. There were things that shouldn't have been possible that you accomplished. People __**believe**__ in you Netto…and to see you as you were…" he ended there, instead opting to cross his arms across his chest as opposed to completely loosing what little face remained. To note how incredibly mortal the boy had appeared, _–a complete contrast to the glow that had surrounded him against Regal-_ would have been a step too far. Death and its relation to the brunette would, for the moment, remain untouched by even a soldier._

_The silence held for another moment._

"_Sign my cast?" a pause as the pen was offered seemingly without thought or consideration to the words that had come before it. Another gap as he snorted silently and moved forward to accept the writing implement from waiting fingers._

"_I believe Nori-san can wait a few more minutees"_

_Their exchange would never be mentioned again. _

* * *

A week he'd been in quarantine. He hated quarantine. Besides the constant vigil of guards and Meijin, dotted by the occasional visit from papa, he had been alone from the moment he'd returned to the PET. He'd tried explaining that he'd done what had needed to be done of his own free will, but that had fallen on deaf ears Meijin had continued typing or whatever it was he did while inspecting certain files of Rockman's navi program.

And now, it was over.

"Thank you again, Meijin-san. If you hadn't helped…Netto-kun might not be here" something which might have been a scoff made its way from the programmer's throat as the navi spoke. Still, he held the hopeful gaze strong even as the programmer skeptically addressed him from outside of the computer screen.

"You shouldn't be thanking me" frowning both at the words and the lack thereof, –_rarely had he heard Meijin forgo his usual insistence for informality-_ all the program could manage was a politely puzzled mix of facial features. However, before clarification could be requested, an innocent sheet of paper was suddenly drawn between the two, allowing Meijin to hide himself within the black ink of numbers and letters which _–unlike the world-_ actually made sense.

"Your diagnostics are okay; no virii or bugs present and the upload was a complete success. You're rather lucky, I wasn't sure if it was going to work. You could have ended up seriously damaged" although, it didn't completely sound as if Meijin shared the care for the optimistic results which his words had suggested. Hesitating, be-speckled eyes finally drove themselves to peer over the printed slip of paper. "Although, hearing about it now, something tells me you don't care"

"It was worth it" shrugged off Rockman in the most modest gesture that he could manage. "Netto-kun is safe. How I managed it is irrelevant" the programmer snorted at this, though decided to keep the irony to himself. Honestly, Rockman being reckless while his operator held firm and calm? Who would have thought?

"Says you. You weren't the one monitoring the whole thing. For pete's sake, _uploading_ you into the dimensional area? I thought the generators were going to blow. There's a difference between a satellite transmission and a twenty-one gigabyte program, you know."

"Twenty point nine three six" the program corrected almost absent-mindedly.

"Right" he sighed. "You understand my point though. If any of the interns had been here to watch those numbers I could have lost my job" he paused to dip his gaze back behind the protective covering of printout. "I still may" if he hadn't been so intent on ignoring the navi's reaction, he would have been treated to the site of a rather wide-eyed Rock.

"W-what?" the paper was rustled as Meijin commenced a search for some other tidbit of information on it which would successfully hold his attention. Ah, there we go; he could read the manufacture information on the far left corner. The print was small enough that he could hold his gaze at it for a while.

"I told you that you shouldn't thank me" without looking away from the printout, the brunette fumbled on his worktable for a rather conveniently placed newspaper. Gripping it in one hand, he still blindly managed to flip over to the front page and held it to the screen, allowing the navi inside the privilege of reading out the headline.

"Fourth installment of Star Potter series blows critics away" a pause. "Meijin-san?"

"_Below_ that Rockman" blinking once, green eyes returned to scouring the newspaper for something that appeared even remotely relevant.

"Monarchy of Port-o-Caldo overthrown by religious coup…?" for a moment even that seemed possess a rather disappointing lack of significance. However, this was short lived as the image of a leering Mars suddenly replaced itself within his visual processors.

"_We come from Port-o-Caldo"_

Another pause.

"You're kidding" no response from the programmer. "Meijin-san, this isn't funny!" oh what he would have done to be able to just brush the papers aside and get Meijin to at least look him in the eye! "They weren't going to win without the ransom from the government. They couldn't have"

"I'll spare you the details then. You can hear them another time. You just need to remember, Rockman, that you killed two of their men"

"They can't be stable enough by now to _act_ on that! And it was in self-defense!"

"They successfully turned the national military on its own government. Most of the people support them, and the ones who don't lack the ability to speak out; the monarchs have been killed or are on the run. If they're not stable now, then they will be in a matter of weeks. They want to prove that they are regardless. They've already decided to award both Mars and Ares medals of Honor" with his voice carefully controlled, the programmer kept himself concealed. He didn't quite trust himself to look Rockman in the eye at the moment.

"You're _kidding_. Meijin-san, they murdered children! They were going to kill more people! What was I supposed to do?!" a sigh from behind the paper.

"I never said that I agree. It is nothing more than news" despite efforts otherwise, the programmer couldn't completely hide the annoyance that crept into his voice with those words. "But the fact still remains, Rockman, that in the eyes of the government, you possess the same amount of rights as say…a bomb. In order for them to maintain peaceful negotiations with a country, the government would have no problem handing over a standard bomb if the need arose"

"Especially if the bomb had already detonated" the navy one completed Meijin's sentence more out of pre-programmed international laws within his systems than any answer that logic could have mustered. All intelligence sectors were currently far busier with other work, namely trying to process what the hell was going on.

This didn't seem right; _Couldn't_ be right. He had just 'saved the day', hadn't he? And therefore, from what he'd learned by all the other instances like this, he was entitled to a nice rest, and perhaps a few rounds of video games with Netto-kun before life would settle back into its normal paces and no one would be the wiser.

"You're free to go"

"Thank you Meijin-san"

* * *

"Rockman!" the moment the blue navi's PET was handed back to Hikari Netto, said adolescent immediately latched onto it and appeared as if he would not be letting go for a fair while. And honestly, the navi inside really didn't want him to. Here, he knew that he was safe. As opposed to the rather unfriendly virii scanner which he had just left, within Netto-kun's arms, he was sure he would be perfectly fine.

"I missed you" finally offered the navy one. He received a muffled 'me too' for his efforts. Apparently, something had gone right. Netto was still talking. To him no less. –_although, he wasn't quite sure __**what**__ he would have done if his welcome back had been less than warm. Self deletion might have been looking good…-_

"What took you so long?" but still, it wasn't quite the same. He knew that even as the arms still held strong around his home. Though Netto's eyes remained squeezed shut, _–he wanted to think they were holding back tears-_ the deep bags were noticeable beneath them all the same. Despite the smile which had completely taken over his operator's mouth, it was still lacking. The correct description of what this deficiency produced was still up for grabs, though Rock was wobbling between classifying it as frustration or weariness.

That made two of them.

"Meijin-san was slow" which meant that it would better to just forgo the facts –_for the moment at least, because he would be stupid to think Netto could be kept in the dark forever-_ and focus on the little white lies that would invariably make this easier on everyone. –_except himself-_ "I think he was looking through too many of his miniature car magazines again. We need to talk to him about that" rewarded with a rather small chuckle, Rock finally managed to push away his previous conversation with the programmer and focus on the here and now.

"Ah, Papa came and visited…!" and so ended the makeshift hug. Instead, the program was treated to a brief blur of the room as Netto flung his sheets aside to reveal the plastered leg, currently scribbled upon by three distinctive colors. "I read yours a lot" the pre-teen clarified just as Rock began to get a look at what the scribbling entailed.

_I miss you._

His handwriting looked exactly like Netto's.

_I hope they're treating you well. I'll be back before you know it, Netto-kun. We can have a 'Rock Hard Fighters' marathon if you want, or something else if you're afraid I'll win. Meijin-san says you're doing well, so I hope-_

That was the first thing the program realized as he glanced over the cast. He hadn't thought anything about it at the time when Papa had visited him and asked for nothing more than a digitally handwritten message for Netto, but now that he had the time, his memory banks quite clearly pointed out each and every similarity between the two; which finally brought it around to an 'exact match', as his recognition systems labeled it. It was understandable; he'd learned handwriting from his operator after all.

_I expect for your speedy recovery. I am also amazed that you have yet to fully terrorize the poor staff. Please do not get any ideas, and please treat them as you would if I was still here to make __**sure**__ that you do not-_

Laika's green scrawl stuck out next, surprisingly neat for one who spoke and wrote Japanese as nothing more than a second language. The message wasn't quite as long as his own, though it ended rather abruptly.

_Blues and I will be ready whenever you are. I will be disappointed if you fail to improve with all that free time on your hands. Also, Manabe-san wishes you-_

Enzan's appeared even more curt, and inwardly Rock wondered how in the world Netto had convinced him to sign in the first place. Unlike as with Laika's message, something seemed a tad _off_ within the vice-president's words. He'd have to ask Blues at a later date.

"It's nice, Netto-kun. You're lucky they wrote anything down at all. You should frame it later"

"I thought the same thing" content that the navi had been treated to the sight of his multi-colored leg, Netto re-covered himself and leant back against the hospital wall with a PET to his chest. The room fell silent for that moment, but after such a long duration with a literal barrier separating their words, Rock was content to have the choice and still know he would be answered.

The painful silence was over.

Netto did not apologize because he knew there was no need. Rock had forgiven him before the thought to say such words had even crossed his mind, and that was okay. It was irrelevant that the brunette himself had done no such thing in relation to the deaths which had fallen earlier, because that was just a chapter to his life which was finished. A right two wrongs did not make.

Breathe in, breathe out. It didn't matter that they did so as one; it was irrelevant that only one needed to do so in the first place.

"Something's bugging you" the peace was not broken, merely rippled.

"It doesn't matter" stare up at those brown eyes, even though he will lie in their face, he meets them solely because he can.

"You sure?" gaze back down at the green, acknowledge that it _does matter_, and yet respect the privacy –_for now-_ and know that when he's ready he'll speak.

"It's over, Netto-kun. That's all that matters"

* * *

_I'll upload the cut-out scenes and a final author's note in a day or two, until then, I'm off to sleep. I apologize if this was not what you were expecting. Enzan is absent because sneaking off at the end is an Enzan-like thing to do. :P  
_


	12. Finale

_An author is a fool who, not content with boring those he lives with, insists on boring future generations._

-** Charles de Montesquieu**

* * *

Ah, thank you for reading the final (sorta) chapter of this mess. I suppose you could count this as a final author's note, but I've got a few deleted scenes mixed in here as well. Just thought I'd share. Perhaps this last bit may be Marshmellow-centered, and I'm quite sure that's not what you all signed up for, but I still want to justify a few things. Sorry :P

It's open ended: Yes, I left you all with the possibility that more suffering could be eminent; Rock could be convicted and Netto could become Emo!Netto again. I couldn't help it. Things usually don't just _end_ in life, look at most current events, they can pretty much be traced back to history beginning. Not to mention the fact that this could almost-sorta-kinda-perhaps lead into 'Transfer'. (Continuity is love)

I will not write a sequel: I've got 3 APs, an honors, varsity sports, clubs, siblings and I bike to and from school. I'm in 10th grade and therefore need a social life on top of this. Time? What is time? Anyway, continuing on from above, I left this open-ended on purpose. Maybe I'm just weird, but when I read I don't particularly enjoy finishing stories with a definite end. I'd prefer to use them to fuel my daydreams during particularly boring speeches of little importance. One minute I could be envisioning happy happy land, and the next could be Rock's trial, sentencing him for deletion :P

Although, I wouldn't complain if one got written anyway XD

No romance: or at least, no _obvious_ romance. Whether or not I implied anything is up to you lot.

Talking to themselves: I tried getting in their heads, I really did. _Why_ did Netto deem it the best course of action to close up? _Why_ did Rock kill? _Why_ did Laika actually forgive Netto? I tried. Whether or not it worked is still up for grabs.

Reviews are love: The perfect author needs no feedback to know that their work is adequate and therefore will keep writing. However, I (certainly hope that I) am not perfect, therefore, your reviews filled with encouragement/questions/observations/etc really did make me feel loved. Perhaps it's not as morally satisfying as habitat for humanity service trips, but it really does make me feel like I've at least done something right.

In any case, thanks goes to the following for their constant feedback/encouragement and chances are this story couldn't have been done without them:

Firehedgehog, Necklace of Raindrops, miforever29, Random Irony, beedolphin, Yuki's Little Girl, Xstarlight-dragonX, Atreyu the Slayer, Ryoki-chan, Crescent Zenith, Silvera, Serenade of Light, lightningstar-Icy, redharuka96, Aki Kochou and Hikari Angel. Give them a hand!

…or I will personally hunt you down.

Anyway, so we begin here with the cut out scenes :P

* * *

If it's not obvious, the scene below was taken out and replaced for the extreme out-of-characterness belonging to Netto.

From chapter 7:

_The resulting backlash was enough to send Netto flying back just as Ares had reached to do the same with his fists. With a slight 'thump' he fell back against the screen, knife held tightly in his sweaty palms._

"_Netto!" he didn't dare look behind him to the screen. He didn't want to see Enzan's look of disappointment, didn't want to see Laika's disbelief, didn't want to see Manabe's fear, didn't want to see Meijin's frustration and most definitely, he didn't want to see his Papa's worry._

_For that matter, he didn't want to see Rock's either._

"_Sorry Papa" Plus, it was never a good idea to turn your back on someone with ill will in mind, as he had just taught Ares. Speaking of the man, he looked ready to commit murder. The slightly larger Mars appeared rather unimpressed, something which didn't bode well for the next part to Netto's "plan"._

_Ah well, he would just hope that Mars was really good at acting._

"_Let us go" he finally commanded. The knife was slick in his palms and the back of his neck was rather soaked, but he kept his voice firm. He had to. Who knew, if he was lucky, maybe he was blocking enough of the picture so that Papa and everyone else wouldn't have to watch. Wouldn't they be lucky?_

"_You said you won't kill us, so let us go" He'd watched a lot of samurai movies before, it was the sort of thing that boys his age __**did**__ after all. And, naturally, because of all those movies –_along with a rather nasty school report to boot_- he'd learned his fair share about seppuku. Knife in one hand, –_very, very, **very** sweaty handle there…-_ Netto used the other to lift his shirt._

_Of __**course**__ he was bluffing, but no one had to know that._

"_Let us go" he commanded again with the knife pressed against his stomach. Mars raised a skeptical eyebrow as he looked over to the still-steaming Ares. Netto didn't like that look, not one bit._

"_I __**said**__-"_

"_We heard you the first time" Mars paused to fold his arms. "Go ahead, we won't stop you" growling, Netto pushed the point into the side of his abdomen. Mars continued to hold his poker face. Although his eyes remained focused on the men, the brunette decided to switch tactics, for a little while at least._

"_Papa, Meijin-san, Enzan…if you give these bastards that stuff I'm never forgive you" silence from the other end; Not very comforting. The tense silence held for a few more moments before, finally, Ares started laughing, although, in the end it was Mars who ended up explaining._

"_A word of advice. There is one of you. __**One**__ child who is threatening, bluffing actually, to kill himself if we don't stop. There are forty-one more children in this room. The death of one child, especially one who killed __**himself**__ will do nothing to quell the negotiations for the remaining children" a shrug. "Perhaps a gun or two less; Hardly a loss when compared to the whole order" Mars sighed as Netto's grip on the knife only tightened._

"_I'm even doing you a favor now" he paused, grabbed his own knife, and in a sudden swoop, had grabbed one of the other children off the ground, seat and all. "Put the knife down, let Ares tie you back up and be a good boy, or I will kill her" the brunette growled._

"_You wouldn't"_

"_Weren't you listening?" Mars paused to push the tip to his captive's throat. "I would rather not, but my associate __**does**__ need his knife back, so either kill yourself or put it down" a third pause. "And we all know you can't do that first one"_

* * *

Just because I can't write Enzan or fight scenes. From chapter 10:

_Which left Enzan alone with the other kidnapper; a kidnapper who had a knife._

"_I need backup, I repeat, backup-" the rest of the statement was cut off as Enzan was forced to move, not trusting his fighting skills out of crossfusion when up against a larger man with a knife. The tactic was this, if he wasn't caught, then he would be fine. Unlike Netto, he wasn't an idiot who believed he could take on a gang of much larger people with nothing more than his bare hands._

_Mentally, the teen began a countdown. If 'C' team assisted, they'd be here in two minutes tops. If someone figured out that the hostages were involved in this area, it'd be easily cut down to half that. That wasn't too bad…right?_

* * *

In order, an alternate ending to Laika's bit, a possible tidbit from when Rock first returned to the PET, and another take on how Meijin would break the bad news. From chapter 11:

_It, of course, went without saying that what had been mentioned would never be done so again. There would be no need for it. What had just transpired, the brief cycle of apology and forgiveness was to be kept private. With the hint of a smile playing along the edges of his lips, Laika was sure of that much._

--

_It was not an awkward silence that hung around the room, as there was no one with whom he could successfully pinpoint any unease to. Left alone to his PET and charger, for the moment at least, Rock had very little left to do but figure out what had happened just earlier, and what the heck was going on now. It was unfortunate that in both categories he seemed to be making pathetically little progress._

_It would have been much more productive, he reasoned, to leave the PET so that he could find Blues or Searchman in the hopes that maybe someone could fill him in. That was, if a port lock had not currently been present on the PET. The moment he'd re-entered from the dimensional area there had been the unpleasant sensation of being trapped, and when he'd wished to prove that it was merely post-fight paranoia, he'd been rather…disappointed…to see otherwise._

--

"_How much do you know on the initial convention for net navigators?"_

"_An international convention where the foundation work and base programming codes were established for world-wide use and are still taken into consideration even for custom navis today. Alternate topics included were the insertion of the three navi senses and the plan for virii which had already risen. Netto-kun's grandfather was one of the council heads, and papa was an intern in high school" a pause as the program ceased the rattle which had come out like clockwork. –after all, it was programmed into his memory banks, why expend the effort to shorten it? This was Meijin, he actually understood it all- Then, "Why?"_

"_You forgot the three laws" at the baffled look the programmer received, his mouth turned into a frown and the situation became just a little worse. "Or you never knew about them…?" a shake of the head._

"_Give me a minute; I can download them from-"_

"_No, it's fine. It wouldn't make any sense unless I explain the relevance" still, he couldn't help but rather noisily release the breath of air that had remained captive during the moment. Had Hikari-hakase really expected that there would be no need? Or had he merely been too busy cramming all other matter of aspects that he'd conveniently forgot to add one of the most essential characteristics for any legally-acceptable navi?_

"_Human safety was a major part of navi development. Basically, these three laws of net navigators were supposed to keep our race from ever needing to worry about a navi tampering with something to kill us off"_

* * *

Random note: did you know that Blues's seiyuu sings some songs as well? They're on youtube for anyone who's interested…

Geeze…I have to put the 'complete' banner on this now…don't I? Very sentimental moment coming up; perhaps I'll shed a few tears, write a eulogy? My fourth multi-chapter story finished, and the first of which I've been proud of to do so at the time of completion. Yay. Ah well, it's been fun, everyone. Thank you again for the support. Long live .EXE!

-**MarshmellowDragon**


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